Remember Heaven
by Proudly Pinoy
Summary: Claire wants Leon. Leon wanted Claire. Too bad he's already engaged. Follow them both, as well as Leon's soon to be wife, in a race to find out what is stronger: Love, or hate? -Complete-
1. Questions

Resident Evil: "Remember Heaven"

Prologue:

"They're going to take Sherry away…" whispered Claire over the phone. Leon bit his lower lip as he was still struggling to let Claire's words sink in. It was three in the morning after all, and it was no doubt a surprise as to why she called from Stoneville city all the way to Manhattan, where Leon was. 

"What?" he finally managed to blurt out after a bit of a stutter. He sat on the side of the bed, still in his gray boxers. 

"…I…some people, they…they came here and…"

"What people? Claire…please calm down…"

"How can I be calm!?" suddenly snapped the voice from the other line, catching the young police officer off guard. 

"…Claire…"

"Sorry, I'm sorry, this was a mistake, I shouldn't have bothered you…" 

"No wait, don't hang up!"

"…" 

"I'm going there, as soon as I can."

"No!"

"What?"

"I…no, I mean, I'll deal with this myself." She said, her voice still trembling. 

"Then why'd you call me?" Leon weakly asked, running his hand through his caramel colored hair. 

"…" she didn't answer, but he could still hear her heavy breathing from the other side. Without any other word, Leon heard the other end click. _"God…" _he thought to himself as he slammed the receiver back onto its cradle. 

                He hadn't heard from her in two years now, and in those two years, plenty of things changed. Claire shut herself off after an incident in the Antarctic, Chris and Jill are now part of the Federal Bureau of Intelligence, and the others just got out of sight. 

"…Who was that?" groggily asked a woman who leaned her chin on Leon's shoulder.  She slowly embraced him from behind, cradling him in warmth. It was only a few moments ago that they were entwined in each other's grasp.

"…Uh, just a friend, sweetie." Replied Leon, leaning his head back to give her a soft kiss on the lips.

"Then get back to sleep." 

"Okay." Leon turned and hid his body underneath the white blanket, and placed both his hands underneath his head. He could feel the cold ring against his skin. "…And honey, tomorrow, I'll be looking for my wedding dress." She said as she snuggled up to her fiancée. "There goes my bank account." Tried to joke Leon, which apparently worked. 

"…Don't worry, there's still enough for college plans."

"You think that much ahead?" 

"No, I'm spending the college plan anyway."

"Oh. That's nice" 

"I love you." 

"I love you too, Rachel." 

Chapter 1: "Questions" 

"Yeah, is Chris there?" Leon asked over the phone. 

"Uh, maybe?" replied a feminine voice, clearly in the mood for teasing the young survivor. 

"Come on Jill, this phone bill is going to kill me." 

"You sound serious." 

"It's about Claire."

"…"

"Jill?"

"We send her money sometimes, but…"

"Send her money? Why?" 

"Don't you know? She's…"

"She's what?" 

"Everything was stolen from her by Umbrella. Before they were brought down, they hit us legally…code violations, stuff like that."

"Yeah, I remember, but…"

"You got off because you had a steady job, while Chris and I pretty much did too." 

"Claire…"

"She got laid off because the company she worked for didn't…want the trouble."

"Claire…she…never told me."

"I thought everyone knew." __

"…What about Sherry?" 

"Her relatives have, I don't know, surfaced or something, and they are fighting for her custody." 

"…How long have you known about this?

"Three months now." 

_"She told everyone but me." _The sudden realization pierced right through him like a poisoned arrow. 

"What about you, us? I…can't we…help her?"

"…"

"Chris, where's Chris?"

"He's still in Somalia." 

"One of the things you guys forgot to mention to me?" 

"…" 

"Claire…she's still in Stoneville right?"

"Yeah." 

"I…uh…bye."

"Bye." 

                Leon hung the receiver back on the cradle, wondering how all of this could have happened without him even knowing. _"That's simple, she doesn't give a shit about you." _Came the pessimist in his head. Of course, he never did forget about her. It was easy to see that he still had feelings for her, and that was why he decided to move away. He couldn't live seeing her depressed, with the only person she'd ever talk to being her big brother and Sherry. Whatever he did, she never let him in. Claire shut him out, and he never knew why. Manhattan didn't erase those thoughts of what was she doing those very seconds, but for at least a few moments, Rachel did.

                He wore a green, long sleeved shirt, and faded jeans that were of the same color. Leon was the guy that girls would have wanted to shove in their parent's faces. The type of guy good enough for a drunken mother-in-law, even. He didn't bother checking himself in the mirror; because he always felt uglier each time he looked. That wasn't true, of course, as he looked like a cover model for GQ. 

"Come on Leon, we've got some retail stores to mug!" shouted Rachel from downstairs, making the young man not help but chuckle. _"She reminds me so much of Claire." _He thought, he always thought. 

"On my way." Responded the weary boy as he jogged down the stairs. 

                The front door was just few feet ahead of Leon, while to his immediate left was the entry leading to the dining room. A few feet to his right was the way to the den, and connected to it was the kitchen. Rachel Joyce, soon to be Kennedy, was standing beside the half-open front door. She had soft, pale skin and long brown hair that fell evenly from her face. The young woman wore a black shirt that reached a few inches beneath her elbows, and was zipped down to reveal her more sensuous attributes.

"You…don't look Leon-ish today." She quickly said as she eyed him. 

"Hmm? What do I look like?" 

"A lawyer growing a conscience. Spill the beans, what's wrong." She said, gently pushing the door to a close. "…It's nothing." His words were as unbelievable as they come. He quickly jogged up to her and gave her kiss on the cheek. 

"Okay, first off, you never sound like an ellipse is going through your head when nothing is troubling you. Second, the dress can wait." She said as she gave him a look riddled with concern. 

"Why doesn't anyone listen to me?" he asked jokingly. "I said, I'm fine, I just…had this weird dream." 

"Dream?" 

"Yeah, I dreamt that I…was the Vampire Slayer."

"You…dreamt you were blonde, aerodynamic, and female?"

"Uh-huh." 

"Well, that settles everything." 

"…Hey, there's this great place, uh, 'Oodlys', they've got killer noodles there. Wanna give it a try?"

"…Sure…" 

                Claire Redfield never thought that her life was going to be this way. But then again, she never thought of a lot of things that had happened to her. For one, she wasn't a Redfield anymore. It was a way for Chris to protect her in the final stages of the war between the S.T.A.R.S. and Umbrella. She was too deep in her own pit of despair to put up an actual fight, and before she knew it, the others had already moved on to fight the company. 

"The money is going to your education Sherry, and that's that." Claire sternly told the fifteen year old girl. Both of them sat on a small, round, plastic table that came with the apartment they were currently in. The kitchen was right in front of Claire, behind where Sherry sat. To Claire's right were two windows, one was cracked, and while to her right were the other rooms. She wore a green, collared tank top, while Sherry wore a blue shirt. Both of them had dark jeans on. 

"…High School…College, those can wait Claire, I mean, if they don't…"

"If they don't, then they are going to take you away." 

"If they do take me away, they'll still have me doing those things, Claire!" 

"…"

"We need the money to…to help find you another job."

"I can't. We already talked about this." 

"…It'll blow off."

"It will never blow off, Sherry."  

"What is it with you? Two years ago, you were this…this girl who managed to survive a-" 

"This discussion is over." 

"No." 

"This discussion is over." Claire repeated, this time with a more imperative voice. 

"You can't do this Claire! You can't just let his death eat you up like this! It's been over a year since he died! Get over it!" suddenly snapped the little girl. 

"…"

"…"

"…You'd better go, you're going to be late for class." Claire said, breaking the silence as she rubbed her temples with both her hands. 

"No, I won't." 

"Yes you will." Claire stood up and fished a crumpled three dollar bill from her wallet. 

"But…"

"There is nothing left to discuss Sherry. What would the court think of you if you didn't have an education, hmm?" 

"…I…" 

"Here." Claire handed the girl the three dollars for lunch money. "…But…"

"Please, just…do it for me okay?" 

"…If you can go a whole afternoon without eating, then so can I. You'd better save that for finding a new job." Softly said the girl. Without waiting for Claire to reply, she grabbed her backpack and took off, leaving Claire to her usual marauding on the yellow pages. 

_"Leon…God…why did I call him!? I'd rather die than have him…see me like this."_  Claire thought to herself glumly as she washed her face on the sink. _"I miss him. I…I'm suffering from Cinderella complex- snap out of it! I…should have never let him go." _

Author's note: Okay, so romance isn't my genre, cuz' I'm not to keen on writing without a gratuitous layer of violence vomited all over it, but I've been tinkering with this idea for some time now so well, tell me what you think. 


	2. Slither

Author's note: That took long, sorry but I'm busy with a lot of things (school, school, movies)   Chapter 2: "Slither" 

He had to find out what was wrong. The young woman's words over the phone a few hours ago kept on nagging at his brain, even though he was in a middle of a conversation with his wife over ramen. He'd imagine having an exact same conversation with her. He did in fact, just before he failed to stop her from foolhardily going against Umbrella Paris all on her own. 

"You know, in Japan? If you eat the ramen as quickly and as noisily as possible, then that means something like, respect." Rachel started as she took a sip of iced tea. 

"Really? Too bad your parents aren't Japanese then." 

"Shush you." 

"I'm still reeling over the mess I made the last time we had dinner with your mom and dad." 

"Trust me, that went well."

"I messed up with the ferret."

"She bit you, it wasn't your fault." 

"I threw it halfway across the room."

"At least you didn't blow it up with a magnum."

"…Oh. Congratulations to me then." 

"There, there, I promise that next time will be different." 

"You'll let me-"

"The magnum stays at home, sweetie." 

"Blast it."

"Exactly. Now eat. You vex the noodles." 

Leon covered his mouth and took up the noodles on his chopsticks. "Help me!" he cried with a muffled voice, shaking the noodles as if they were begging for mercy. "No!" he replied to himself playfully, making Rachel giggle. Rachel had a carefree spirit to her, but she couldn't help but ponder on what was troubling her fiancée. She knew that he would be stubborn to admit whatever it was until she made him very sleepy and drunk, and that his child-like antics couldn't really conceal anything when something's up.   

                They sat on a two-chair table that was just by the windows, and Leon's eyes always seemed to travel outside each time he arched back after taking a bite. Countless people of all ages, shapes and sizes were walking to their destinations, some hiding emotions, others flaunting them. It was the worst thing in the world to him to hide something, since it always made him feel like he was digging himself into something deeper, something harder to let out, and in reality, it's true. That's how it always was.  

                Claire left the bank with a heavy heart, more of an angry one, as she was yet again disapproved of a loan. _"It's stupid! They need me to have a proper job before the loan, but I can't have a job if there isn't a loan!" _she madly screamed to herself as she passed two nuns promoting a 'Habitat' program. She wore the same clothes that she did earlier on, no make-up or perfume. It was already three in the afternoon, and there was always that one place she went each time the hands of time struck that certain hour.  

                The Eiles River was a narrow stretch of water, curving gracefully in the far stretches of Stoneville. Golden rays of light illuminated the tall, green grass that sandwiched the crystal river. In the distance, the town's riverside shops and stalls could be seen, where the river pushed into a larger space. For a while, Claire felt at peace as she simply watched nature dance effortlessly around her. She pushed a bang to the back of her ear, and sat down the steep end of a slope that gave her a perfect view of the river. The blades of grass at times, gently pricked her skin, but she had dealt with worse in her time. 

_"I miss Raccoon city." _She thought, as she closed her eyes to rest onto the gusts of wind. _"I miss…no, don't think of him. Okay, not thinking of him makes me think more of him. Shit." _

                Leon held Rachel's hand as they walked down the park, but his unsettled thoughts brewed over stronger and stronger with each step they took. He wanted to know how to help Claire, but at the same time, he felt angry with her, for shutting him out of her life so long ago. _"I'm not worth telling." _Came the familiar voice that hounded his mind. _"Get out of my head." _Silently ordered Leon as he took a deep breath. Some things were still worse than the undead.

"You know…you're a bad liar." Started Rachel. 

"What?" 

"It's obvious, something's up, and you just won't tell me." 

"I'm just pretty tired." 

"Really." 

"…" 

"You're a really bad liar." 

"…"

"It's about Claire, isn't it?" 

"What? No. No." 

"Come on Leon, you never look like that unless you go on some anecdote about her."

"…"

"Do you still like her?" 

"I told you, all I see in the world now, is just you." Leon protested, staring into her eyes. 

"Then why don't you tell me what's bothering you?" 

"It's not important, it…shouldn't concern you." He said, involuntarily raising his voice. 

"…"

"I'm sorry, that, that didn't come out right."      

"…" 

"Rachel…let's just, not talk about this." 

"…" she didn't reply, but simply began to walk forward again, still not letting go of his hand. Rachel loved him, but she always felt at a loss, and at most times jealous, of how much Leon cares about that special girl he left behind. She never battled it out with ten-foot mutations or armies of walking corpses, not like Claire. Rachel could never do all the things Leon did with Claire, and it deeply saddened her. 

                _"God, I just ruin every fucking thing in my life." _Leon silently told himself as he frantically thought of a way to make it up to Rachel, to make her smile at the very least. "Uh…what about that dress?" Leon asked weakly. "…I have it for five-o-clock." She replied without any enthusiasm. 

"So, where do you want to go before then?" 

"I don't know." 

"Rachel…" 

"I'm just, not in the mood right now, okay?" 

_"Oh, that's just great." _Leon thought to himself as they sat down on a bench. "…Want any ice cream?" 

"I'm still full." 

                Evening rolled by in absolute dreary, as Leon couldn't keep a single serene thought in his mind. "Call it in as a personal favor." He whispered to the phone. "…Yeah, I know we can't do this, but it's important, I think the person's in trouble." He then said after a moment of silence, careful not to raise his voice. "No, I'll handle it, this is a personal thing of mine…no, it's not a freaking vendetta I have against anyone, you know me Matt…okay, thanks man." 

                Leon took out a small piece of paper and a red marker from one of the drawers and placed them beside the phone. After what seemed like a whole year, the voice came back. "…Room 204, Blue Creek Apartment, Stoneville. Okay, thanks bud, I owe you one." 

_"So what are you going to tell your wife?" _asked the small voice in his head. _"I…don't know. God, I'm screwed." _He trudged back up to their room, where Rachel was sleeping comfortably in the white bed. She had her back turned to the door, so Leon couldn't see her face as he walked in. _"…I'm still in love with Claire." _He thought. _"What would Rachel do if I told her? She'd probably leave me. What if she does? She's the most beautiful woman in the world and I'm just…me." _

                The police officer stripped off his long-sleeved shirt and kicked of his shoes, too wasted in every aspect to do anything else. He slipped under the blanket and snuggled up to Rachel, who was already asleep. Leon had his right hand on her waist, while his left was rested under his left ear. His eyes trailed in the view, from Rachel's hair, up to the window that was on the wall, looming over them as they lay. In a way, this was everything he ever wanted. Being able to be with the woman he loved, just to be able to spend time with her, even in absolute silence, to smell her hair, to hold her in his arms. It was all he ever wanted.

                Claire looked out the window as she sat alone on the table, and even though she wasn't the type of woman who looked for love, she still couldn't help but wish for a hand over her own. Sherry was already asleep, always the best time for Claire to let down her strong façade, and open up the dam over her eyes. A berretta was sitting on top of the table, a strong voice that beckoned her to end all the pain, all those days of wishing for a mistake to suddenly rectify itself. She had written a short verse of a song she once heard on a piece of paper with a red marker, not accurate, but it was what she had remembered. It read: 

"Wishing you were  
somehow here again . . .  
wishing you were  
somehow near . . .  
Sometimes it seemed  
if I just dreamed,  
somehow you would  
be here . . ."  
  
"Wishing I could  
hear your voice again . . .  
knowing that I  
never would . . .  
Dreaming of you  
won't help me to do  
all that you dreamed  
I could . . ."  
  
"Passing bells  
and sculpted angels,  
cold and monumental,  
seem, for you,  
the wrong companions -  
you were warm and gentle . . ."  
  
"Too many years  
fighting back tears . . .  
Why can't the past  
just die . . .?"  
  
"Wishing you were  
somehow here again . . .  
knowing we must  
say goodbye . . .  
Try to forgive . . .  
teach me to live . . .  
give me the strength  
to try . . ."  
  
"No more memories,  
no more silent tears . . .  
No more gazing across  
the wasted years . . .  
Help me say  
goodbye."

Author's note: Not the longest of my chapters, but what the fuck. Hope you readers enjoyed it, now let me get back to my problems. (school, school, being ugly) Oh, and who can be the first one to guess where those verses came from (the net doesn't count as an answer) will...I dunno, get a cameo or something.


	3. Options

Author's note: Here's for another short chapter. 

Serena: You were right. "It was wishing you were somehow here again". You're cameo would have to be moved for a later chapter though, can you tell me stuff(physical) about yourself?

Chaos: You're eyesight is staggering, girl. Heh, well, trust me, I am uglier than hell, but I just get lucky sometimes. (I dunno, girls use me because at times I have cash to burn. Other than that, I'm practically replusive.) And thank for the advice, but asterisks really aren't my thing. I'll try to make things clearer though.   

Chapter 3: "Options" 

"So...what do I do?" Rachel asked Emily as they walked along wallstreet that cold morning. The latter was a professor, although just at 26, she was considered to be one of the smartest women in the institute that she served. She had short, blonde hair, blue eyes and a child-like nature. This time however, she needed to be serious. 

"You're paranoid." She simply replied as she drank from a cup of Seattle's best. Emily wore a green shirt underneath a black overcoat. Rachel on the other hand, wore a long-sleeved gray shirt and a blavk skirt. Both of them were stunning women, on every aspect. 

"It's just that...I know that I can never compare to this... mysterious girl from the past."  

"You have the ring don't you?" 

"...the ring doesn't matter if he's in love with someone else." 

"Are you even sure it's her?" 

"Yeah." 

"How?" 

"..." 

"Rachel?" 

"I just know." 

"..."

"You know, when we first met...."

"Hmm?" 

"When Leon and I first met...he saved my life you know?" 

"Everyone does." 

"Ha, yeah, it's like, a love story. Only with guts and guns."

"That sounds romantic." 

"Sure was."

"I sense a but." 

"...But, he just seems so different know." 

"..."

"Three days ago, he told me I was the very best thing that happened to him, and now, now he won't even tell me what's bothering him." 

"...Maybe it's just a phase."

"Or maybe he's just sick of me."

"Don't say that." Emily replied sternly.

"..."

"What's in your mind?" 

"He gave me a reason to live." 

"..."

"And if he...wants to be with someone else, then, maybe letting him go would be my way of..."

"Do not even finish that sentence."

"...Sometimes...I just hate being in love." 

"I know the feeling, sister. I know the feeling."   

                Those very moments, Leon was still sprawled on the bed, still in the garments that he slept in the night before. No shades of light were in the room, not from the windows or from the door. It was as if the sun felt too weary to smile. _"…What if I never left? What if I just stayed with Claire…until maybe she would have found it in her to tell me what was wrong? Would it have been easier if I never met Rachel? But I love her, too. Too. Jesus Christ. I am over her! I am…no, I'm not. She doesn't…but she doesn't deserve someone like me, right? That's why she let me go." _

                He sat up, ignoring the numbing cold around him. He was used to it. _"This is a bad idea. Maybe Claire is just…messing with me or something. She wouldn't do that, would she? She hates me. She hates me." _Leon hated being alone. He hated having to face himself, what he felt. It always brought him down to hear his own voice, because it always was bad news getting broadcasted. _"…I need to see her."_

With a deep sigh, he took off his ring, and raised it to his eye. There were the words, still clear, eight syllables that made a covenant between two people deeply in love. _"Leon and Rachel forever." _He silently read, staring right through the hole and into the blurry gray. At times he'd wish that he were out of the picture, that everyone wouldn't have had the misery of being able to know him. Then was such a time. _"I have to find something to do." _

Claire woke up with tired eyes, her hands cold and numb. The handgun wasn't there anymore. The sudden realization was enough to alarm her into full consciousness as she jumped to her feet. "Sherry?" she called, as she made a quick turn for the young girl's room. Everything seemed so dull, but Claire did not wonder if the same shades of gray were over the world. For all she knew, everyone else would have been coated in gold and shiny silver. The world had a way to keep track of the people worth keeping. 

                A small brown crucifix was hung on the wall, something she graciously passed as she reached for an old, wooden door. Before she grasped the silver handle, the door creaked open, stopping Claire in her tracks. Sherry was on the other side; a disappointed expression was evident on her face. It looked like she was ready for school, as she wore a pink turtleneck sweater and a pair of denim pants. 

"You know I don't ever want to see a gun. Not in my own house." She reminded the older woman. 

"…Where is it?" 

"I thought you didn't keep guns anymore." 

"Sherry, just tell me where it is…okay?" 

"Why?" 

"What do you mean, why? It's mine." 

"But you don't need that thing!" 

"…"

"I'm going to school. It's up to you if you want to find that thing or not. It's still in the house."

"…" 

"Bye."

"…"

                Claire rubbed her temples as Sherry walked away with her small backpack. The girl took a small brown paper bag, something that she had made herself and Claire had just noticed. _"Okay girl, stop…doing this. If I want to pull myself into some shit-ass hole, do not drag Sherry into this." _She silently commanded herself as she heard the door slam shut. _"I got to have my 9mm back."_

Leon's mouth hung half-open when he opened his front door. It was three hours after he woke up, and the cold morning dreary was replaced by a bright yellow, afternoon calm. Rachel left him an instant message on his cell phone, stating that she had to do some things, and would be back at home for lunch. By that time, Leon had already taken a fresh, warm shower, and had put on a white, long sleeved shirt, as well a pair of black, Kenneth Cole pants. 

                Rachel was standing in front of him, blushing profusely as she handed him a thin bouquet of roses. She was still wearing the same clothes that she did earlier on. "Uh, well…" 

"Rach?" 

"I just…didn't want to fight anymore, and seriously, no way am I buying you pizza this early…" 

"That's…good." 

"Pardon?" 

"…Thanks Rach." 

"…Listen Leon, I know I have no right to pry, and I'm sorry if I did-"

"Uh, why don't you come inside?" 

"…I… think I still have a few things to do…" 

"No, come on." 

"But…"

                Leon held her by the hand gently, and then gave her a reassuring smile. "What is it?" she asked with a curious smile. She didn't notice how all the curtains in the house were closed, and that it seemed to already be sunset in their residence. Rachel half-turned to nudge the door to a close, and went deeper with Leon. She stopped as she entered the doorway to the dining room. Candlelight flickered on top of two silver candleholders on each side of the dining table. Leon stood by the door as Rachel went forward. There was a bowl of Caesar salad by the middle, and cut up lobster that was drenched in melted cheese right by it. Cream of mushroom soup was set by the china where they would eat, and a bucket of wine was by one end. 

                The young police officer grabbed a green vase, thin, elegant, and shot the bouquet of roses inside. A second later, it was already sitting peacefully in the middle of the table. 

                A small card was by the wine, and it read Rachel, motivation enough for the girl to slowly pick it up and read what was inside. _"Dear Rachel, You know I'm not too good with words, and I hate messing things up. Yesterday, I really did, and I really hope that we could just forget about that. You're the only one that matters to me. I love you. I really do." _

                She then felt two warm arms wrap around her waist from behind. Leon rested her chin on Rachel's shoulder, his heart beating faster than the percussions of Sum41. She could feel that, she could feel each beat as he rested his body on her. "Well…?" he asked her expectantly. 

"Couldn't have said it better myself." She said in a whisper; a tear fell down her eye. Leon began to chuckle, and then, both of them were enveloped in laughter. 

                Leon gently turned her around, and gave her a soft kiss. "Thanks for the roses." He whispered, then kissing her again. "Come on, let's have lunch." He said. "…Wait…" Rachel hesitated. "Yeah? "What is it?" asked Leon, both of them kept their voices tender, fearing that a single raise in tone would ruin the moment. "I just want to…stay in this moment." She told him, wrapping her arms around her neck. "The food might get cold." He said, even though he gladly wrapped his hands around her waist.  "…Then you'll have to be the one to keep me warm inside." 

"It would be…my pleasure."   

                Nightfall came, and in the streets of Stoneville, it held a lot of negative connotations. Outside of Central Stoneville, where the elite and the powerful reside, were the outskirts that seem to have been refused any attention. It was a respectable place, but it was due to the residents' own perseverance that it was so. Even though the riverside area of Stoneville carried on its shoulders many a respectable person, there were still those who lived by the laws of the street. 

                Gunshots rang out as three hooded men ran from a convenience store, leaving behind the bloody corpses of a young police officer and a middle-aged Chinese woman, who was the owner. Forty dollars were taken, and four lives were lost. Amazing what desperation leads to. Horrifying what if leaves. The Chinese woman had short, black hair, and she was slumped over the counter, her arm fell limply down, with a trail of blood in front. A rack of cigarettes fell over her head. 

                A stray bullet had also hit her baby boy, but he wasn't dealt the lucky hand of the reaper. He had to live a vegetable. In a way, he had also died. Two isles away, pressed against the refrigerated glass doors, was Sherry. Still in her outfit earlier, she could only stare into oblivion. Spots of blood were by her shirt, and in front of her lay a young girl, a close friend of her from school. A stray bullet had entered her ear and left through her eye. 

                Five minutes too late, men in uniform began to swarm the area, helping those in need, asking questions. Just another night of lost faces. One of them approached the little girl, and with an insensitive voice, asked her if she was all right. If she could have thought clearly, then she would have asked him if he was stupid. This was not the life for Sherry Birkin, and the option of leading a different one, shone brighter and brighter in her mind. 

                It was the promise of leading a better life, and much more, the solace of not being Claire's burden. What kept her in the breast of sorrow? It was her own sisterly love for the female Redfield. At times, at most, it is the feeling of love that pulls everyone into the greatest despair of all.  

                      __

Author's note: Trust me, I haven't forgotten about the fact that Claire is a survivor. I also haven't forgotten about the fact that the characters' attitudes and actions are (or were) based on people I know from real life. Leon reflects my personality, even though unlike him, people turn away at the sight of the aberration I call a face. Well, hope you lived through that horrendous chapter, till next time. 


	4. Life and Musicals

Author's note: Hey sorry that this had to take so long, it's just that my academics are going to hell, and, well, school's first. 

Chaos: Actually no, I'm open to your…remarks because it's a welcome change. We're cool. I hope. By the way, where are you studying?   

Molotov: Hey, thanks. I'd hate for everyone to be a stereotype, so bleh. 

Tifa:  I feel your pal's pain. I want to date these three girls, two if whom show great interest (I do NOT know why) in me, and one who is way out of my league that I could brood all day over her. 

Chapter 4: "Life and Musicals" 

"What happens if we don't get Sherry?" asked a middle-aged woman to her husband. She had long, blonde hair that was tied back to a bun. Helena was a thin, beautiful woman, even at thirty. She could always compete with younger women out there, but she never did. She was happy with the fact that she had a husband. 

"We'll get her. You just have to have faith." Replied the man, thirty-three, he had short, light brown hair and an enviable frame. He wore a blue, collared shirt tucked into a pair of brown slacks, while his wife, Helena, wore a red shirt beneath a white jacket and a black skirt. 

Both of them were sitting on a bench in Stoneville Park; surrounded by green pastures. A group of children were running around not too far a distance from them, with one little girl playing with her kite and two boys following her around. Their hearty laughs could all be heard from a mile away.

"…Aaron…"

"Yeah?" 

"…Do you ever think of how life would be if I could…?" 

"Sometimes." 

"…" 

"Then I tell myself that this is what the Good Lord had wanted." 

"You still believe in coincidences…in fate?" 

"Everything has a reason, right?" 

"…We don't live in some silly kid's fan fiction. Not everything ends great. The sun does not always shine after it rains…"

"…"

                Claire knocked on Sherry's door. She had already warned the little girl about going off into the night, she always had. The streets were a dangerous place for a little girl, no matter how hardened by experience she was. A straight face in front of danger did not always precede a living one. This however, was not a time for sermons or scolding. "Are you okay Sherry? Do…you want me to get you anything?" Claire asked through the door. 

"…I'm fine." Came the girl's reply. 

"Then why don't you unlock this door? I want to see you."

"…"

"Sherry?" 

"…"

"Sherry?" 

"I need to get some sleep Claire, I'm really tired." 

"It's already one in the afternoon. You have to get out of there."  

"…" 

"…You need to eat."

"I brought home a burger from last night." 

"…That must be cold by now." 

"I don't care." 

"…Well, I do." Claire responded, not knowing what the girl was doing inside. The one inside on the other hand, did not want to think of the one outside. She didn't want to see Claire worry or get angry. Sherry wore a blue top and black jeans, her hair was clean but uncombed, and she was hugging herself as she sat on the middle of her bed. 

The bloodstained sweater was still on the floor, reminding her hauntingly of last night. In her mind she knew, that there was no hope for a race that kills each other upon whimsy. She knew that only the strong would survive, and she knew that she was not one of the strong ones. Claire was so far away now, trapped in the real world, and she knew for a fact that all of Claire's problems rooted in her. That single fact tore Sherry apart.

                A nagging phone ring finally pried Claire away from the door. She marched with heavy feet, clearly agitated at her life. "Hello?" she asked as sweetly as she possibly could the moment the receiver met her lips. "Is this Ms. Claire Redfield?" 

"…Yes?" 

"Yes, hello, this is Karen Montgomery."

"Oh…uh, hello." 

"Listen, I don't want to make it any harder on you…"

"…"

"…So I just rang by to tell you that…if you voluntarily give Sherry to my clients' custody…"

"…"

"…well, you'll…get a severance package of sorts."

"Excuse me?" 

""Miss Redfield…"

"How dare you think that I'd ever let her go for money?" 

"Ms. Redfield…Claire…we know what you are going through, and…"

"No, listen, you have no idea what I am going through okay?"

"…I'm just a lawyer trying to do my job."

"And I'm just a human being trying to be humane." 

"You don't think I'm doing that as well?"

"What, by trying to bribe me?" 

"I wasn't…" 

"…"

"You don't even have a lawyer, no one is going to go Bono especially after all the trouble you've caused with Umbrella."

"…I'll find one." 

"Well if you do or don't…I'm sorry but…I'll have to see you in court." 

"Bring it on." 

"…" Claire then heard a soft click on the other end of the line. _"Oh God." _She thought as she fell back on a chair and pressed her palms against her face.  

                Leon and Rachel sat in hushed silence as they watched the French constabulary massacre the students upon the massive barricade. It was overwhelming, how the senses were bombarded with each tragic note as the curtain lifted once again, revealing the lifeless bodies of the revolutionaries. Soft, solemn melodies were orchestrated so perfectly, bringing an air of veneration from the crowd. 

                They watched as Marius began to sing to himself Leon's favorite song, "Empty Chairs and Empty Tables". The deep, melancholic voice softly trailed his ears, and his mind transported him to what his life could have been without Umbrella. He would be in a desk, doing paperwork on some small case, eating and drinking with the people that he would forever call his brothers. He wouldn't have met Claire. 

"Are you okay honey? You look like you're under a trance." Rachel whispered to his ear. It was a cardinal sin to make unnecessary noise in a crowd that would kill to be in an anniversary musical. 

"Yeah, I just…like the song." 

                _"Would it have been better? If Umbrella never reared its head…if I never met Claire…never fell in love with a woman who deserves so much more than me?" _He hated thinking like he could somehow change the past. He hated the idea of being able to change the past as well, since he knew that there were so many things that he needed to rectify. 

Leon turned to look at his wife, who had already hesitantly resumed her attention to the musical. For her, the powerful music was not strong enough to lighten her heart at the sight of her fiancée, who was clearly in deep trepidation. 

_"She's beautiful." _Leon thought as his eyes trailed her delicate features. She wore a red gown and had her brown hair tied back, once again reminding him of the woman who was left behind.     

_                "He's doing it again." _Rachel thought to herself as she bit her lower lip. _"What could he be thinking? …I…need to find it out for myself. I have to find Claire Redfield." _She imagined that the story of the musical Miss Saigon would have been too close to home than comfortably possible. She even fretted that Leon and Claire may already have a child. Rachel knew how Miss Saigon ended, and she would be damned if she would let an orchestrated masterpiece parallel to the lives they led. 

"Did you enjoy the play?" Leon asked her as they drove home in their red Volvo. 

"Yeah, I loved it. Thanks for bringing me." Rachel replied, looking out the window. 

"Man, I hate those Thenardiers." He joked, occasionally glancing to the girl who looked like she was thinking of something deep. 

"Yeah." 

"…And how Javert jumped into the Seine, that was…great."

"…"

"…Great." Leon bit his lower lip and resumed keeping his eyes on the road. 

"Leon?"

"Yeah?" 

"Tonight was…spectacular, really…thank you." 

"I'm…glad you said that." 

"I'm sorry but I guess I'm just tired." 

"…" Leon gently trailed his right palm against her forehead and neck. "You're warm." He said in worry. Rachel simply nodded and held his hand. "I'm okay, you're with me." 

_"Should I tell her about Claire? What would she say?" _Leon thought as he drove. It was difficult being in love, especially since any wrong word of connotation could turn it all around. 

_"Should I confront him about Claire? He'll…probably just retreat into a corner again." _Rachel thought as she looked out the window. She didn't want to look at Leon right now, since she felt that she would see somebody else, somebody different. She was afraid of seeing a man who did not love her anymore, because she saw it all before. 

"…Rachel?"

"Yeah?"

"…You look wonderful tonight." 

"…Thanks." She said with a blush. 

"Just thought you'd want to know." He shrugged with a sheepish smile. Rachel giggled a bit and turned to look at him. He turned as well, for just a few seconds since he was on the road.  _"Tomorrow…I'll tell her the truth tomorrow." _He thought as he resumed his adamant driving. _"God give me the strength to do this…" _  

Author's note: Hey, three more characters introduced, hope we don't go all confused. (Stares at Chaos… just kidding) I hope that it was worth the wait and that you enjoyed it. (Incredibly short, but I'm doing my best here!) Until next time. 


	5. Truth

Author's note: Here is the next, short and medial chapter. I hope you enjoy. 

Molotov: Thanks, this one's for you. 

Tifa: I think that a great story is one that tries to get rid of stereotypes. Wish me luck.

Hallaena: Wow, touching, o ito, dalawang tao lang, simpleng simple! Kailangan e… 

Serena: That works just fine, thank you. My favorite songs are those from Javert and JvJ, as well as One day more and Bring me Home/ Lead me to Salvation. 

Chapter 5: "Truth"

                Claire ran through the darkness, clothed in her usual style of red and black. Her gasps for air echoed through the shroud of nothingness. She didn't know if there was a ceiling or a floor, if there was an exit to where she was headed. Claire did not even know why she was running. Then, all of a sudden, she stopped. Leon was in front of her. Neither of them said a word. 

                The police officer reached out his hand, hoping that Claire would give him hers. She didn't. Still, no words were passed. He called her name, but no voice came. She just stood in front of him, like a lifeless drone. Then Leon's eyes opened. 

                Leon woke up to another bout of rain cascading down his window. He had a feeling that this day was not going to be a good one. The officer knew it in his heart, and that did not let him sleep up to at least 2 hours before dawn. He always despised that feeling, like something was swelling in your heart, something that you were desperate to get rid of, but you feared of how to do it. 

                _"God, I'm sick of feeling like this…" _he thought as he got out of bed, still groggy from his lack of sleep. Rachel wasn't there, as she was already cooking their breakfast by then. He rubbed his arm to get back the feeling, and grabbed a green sweater and a pair of slacks from a seat just by a cabinet. The idea of telling Rachel the whole truth in nothing but his boxers seemed to make the whole situation a little less dramatic for him.

                _"God I'm sick of feeling like this…." _Rachel thought to herself as she set up a plate of morning toast and bacon. She wore a pink bathrobe with her brown hair tied back to a bun. The sound of footsteps then alerted her of the man she loved, and the last few seconds of comfort she could have for possibly her whole life. She gripped the handle of the coffee maker tightly. _"Just ask him what's going on…"_ The woman watched as Leon went down the stairs, which was in perfect view from where she was, by the kitchen. 

"Good morning." Leon greeted, giving Rachel a soft kiss on the lips just as he reached her. 

"Hey." She replied, putting the coffee maker down. 

"What smells so good?" he asked, looking over the food, trying his best to start up a conversation before he talks about Claire. 

"Oh, it's the regurgitated pig meat that you love so much."

"Figures." 

"Coffee's about done in three seconds."

"…Warm…" 

"That new videogame is coming out today, the one you always liked?" 

"How'd you know?"

"Internet, history, pages visited." 

"You check that?" 

"I like to see what my fiancée ogles at when I'm not home."

"Really?"

"Well, a friend told me to check if you searched porn."

"Huh?" 

"Don't worry, she lost our bet."

"Oh. Emily?"

"Uh-huh. So, do you want to get that game?" 

"Yeah… but the line is probably longer than hell by now. I hear that people camped out all night."

"Boys and their toys." 

"You know you make that sound dirty?" 

"Shush. Here's an early bridal gift to you." Rachel then said with a hearty smile. She handed him what looked like a rectangular, thin jacket covered in plastic.   

"You got me…?" 

"Yeah, Resident Gear 2: Code Liberty X. I had it pre-ordered and signed by Shinji Kojima himself." 

"…You rock my world, you know that?" he told her as he wrapped his arms around her. 

"You owe me 200 bucks." 

"Do you accept coupons?" 

"I'm going to need a lot." She replied with a giggle. _"…Lord God help me, here it goes…" _she thought as she gently pushed Leon away. "Or…you could tell me the truth." 

"…What?" 

"About Claire." 

"…Rachel…"

"I was there that night Leon, you can't deny anything." 

"You mean?" 

"I…was there when you talked to that person on the phone…when you asked where she was. I heard everything." Rachel told him in a voice that seemed like it trembled. Leon could see the pain and confusion in Rachel's eyes, and it was something that he had wished he'd never seen. He bit his lower lip and hung his head. 

"…She…needs help." 

"What do you mean? Why? What do we have to do with this?" Rachel asked him with eyes that pleaded for him for a straight answer. 

"Rachel…?"

"…Yes?"

"Remember Heaven?" 

"…Yes." 

"Remember my story, how we escaped, and how we thought that the feeling of…being alive was like heaven…?" 

"…Yes."

"That's all…getting torn down." 

"Why?" 

"Because things are becoming too real again. People are taking Sherry away from Claire, and that little girl is the only tie that Claire has had with humanity ever since…"

"Oh…and who…who are these people?"

"I don't know. Family? More agents? I…just…"  

"…You know what I'm going to ask you." 

"…I love you Rachel, more than anything." Leon said reassuringly, even though everything inside him doubted what he had just said. Rachel nodded and looked away. "…I'm…getting my wedding dress today…finally…" she said, keeping her hands on the back of a chair. 

"…"

"How do you think…would I look like?" 

"…"

"…Do you even want to see me?" she asked weakly, covering her mouth as she tried to keep back her tears. "Of course…I…" Leon stuttered. 

"Leon…I wasn't about to ask you if you loved me." She told him in a voice just above a whisper. 

"What?" 

"Do you doubt…what we have so much…that you'd think that…that was what I was going to ask?" 

"No! Of course not." 

"Leon, don't lie to me…" 

"I'm not lying to you, Rachel! God…don't…psychologize me!" 

"I'm not trying to do that!" she was crying now, and each tear fell like a spear on Leon's inside. The young man wanted to shoot his head off for shouting at her. "Ever since she called…you haven't been yourself. You…act so distant, like I'm not even there!"

"Can't you see you're always there? Why I can't sleep, why I can't eat, sometimes why I can't even breathe! Because I'm trying my best, I'm…desperate not to ruin what we have!" he felt as if his own tears would be gaining the best of him soon. 

"Leon…you should trust me enough to know that I love you no matter what…" 

"But you act so different whenever she comes up!" 

"And can you honestly blame me for that? You were in love with this girl!"

"Rachel…!"

"And you probably still are!" 

"Not as much as I love you!" he rebutted, realizing that it was the wrong thing to say a second too late. He held his breath just as the words escaped his mouth. Rachel held a hand over her chest, her face clenched in anguish.   

"…" 

"God…"         

"So…you really do still love her…" 

"…I… never meant that…" 

"Well, what did you mean?" 

"…I loved her…loved…that's what I meant."

"You are a bad liar."

"…What…what do you want me to say!?"

"I don't know!" 

"Don't accuse me of not trusting you, when you don't even trust me!"

"How could you say that!?"

"After everything, you still have to ask!?" 

"Leon, I just want you to be honest with me!" 

"I am! Okay? I fucking am!" he grabbed her by her shoulders, making her cry out with a loud sob. "I love you…more than life itself, why can't you just believe me?" he asked her, tears were also strolling down his cheeks as well. 

"I want to Leon…but you aren't really giving me a reason to…" she whispered. 

"What more do you want from me? How can I make you believe me?"  

"I don't know. I…just…don't know." She replied in a small voice. 

"…" Leon closed his eyes, turned, and left the house. Rachel fell on her knees and cried louder than she has ever did before. No earthly torment matched what the two were going through. 

Author's note: Kind of intense since I practiced the scene with a girl, how we acted and what we said eventually turned up here, with a few modifications of course. Well, I've never actually written four pages of dialogue before, so I am tired, sleepy, and in need of a hug. 


	6. Lightning Sharpens

Author's note: After 18 billion years, I finally updated.

Chaotic – Cool ka lang, nagbibiro lang naman ako e. 

Hotaru – Actually, you don't review as much as you project witty, random side comments, but hey, that's why I love you.

Tifa – Why not? Hugging is such a great thing.

Daniel – Thanks dude. 

Dragon – There are tons of great fics here, they just aren't given enough attention because all the recognition goes to the fics with a bloody pairing. 

Molotov – Rehearsing helps if the girl is hot and especially more if she thinks I'm hot, so it wasn't at all too hard. But come on, this is a fanfiction, it masterpieces are like, Les Miserables or The Children. 

Serena – Glad to hear that it hurts, I think. 

Claire-Redfield – Yes, I will write more, this is proof.  

Chapter 6: "Lightning Sharpens"

                 Claire angrily put down the receiver, and rubbed her temple with her free hand, an act that she found herself doing repeatedly now. She was at a payphone, just in the block in front of the blue creek apartment complex. The young woman was sick of having Sherry hear her shout and mope about in hopes of finding answers to her problems. Her hand was still firm on the black receiver, as she stared past the glass and to the window of her room. _"In a few days, she won't be there with me anymore…" _she thought sadly. _"No! Snap out of it! I am not some weakling…I'll get through this." _

                Her mock optimism was ill suited however, especially since she couldn't procure any more money to pay for a law firm that claimed to help the economically unstable. With a deep breath, she pulled herself away from the phone booth. She wore a red, collared shirt and a pair of black denim pants that were already faded.

"Claire Redfield!" came a short woman whose aged was indeterminable from the layers of withered skin upon her face. It was a miracle she had the strength to even blink, more so shout in her shrill voice. She wore a sweater and a blouse that covered her up to her ankles. Both articles of clothing were sickly blue. 

"Yes, Ms. Acorn?"

"I saw you on my way…"

"Oh?" 

"And I wanted to show you this personally." She pulled a folded piece of paper from her pocket and handed it to Claire. _"Oh God." _Claire could already read the black, bold print through the back as she unfolded the piece of paper. "Just wanted to give you an early start to pack your things. That is if you have any." The woman said as she snatched the paper back. 

"You can't…please Ms. Acorn, give me a few more days!" 

"I've given you three weeks, and look at where you are now." 

"But…things are looking up! Really, they are!"

"Oh? Then why the suicidal look you had in the phone booth?"

"That…was just a misunderstanding I had with a friend…" 

"…"

"Please! Ms. Acorn, please!" 

"You can't ask for extensions forever. Everything has a deadline."

"We have nowhere else to go!" 

"That isn't my problem."

"Ms. Acorn…"

"Listen…Claire, God knows you look like a strong, responsible woman, but out here…we have to look out for ourselves. We all have to make a living."

"…Just a few more days…" 

"…Claire, if I listened to my emotions more than my head, then I'd be out of business by now."

"…You know…if it were otherwise?" 

"…"

"You might actually have somebody come by your deathbed." Claire bitterly remarked, walking past the elderly woman who could do nothing but gasp.    

Leon sat on a swing, unmindful of the piercing raindrops that stabbed his skin. He didn't let any thought race through his mind as he stared into blankness. At that moment, he didn't want to know whose fault it was. He didn't want to think of how he could make it up or how it could turn out worse. Leon turned leaned his head upwards, watching the gray clouds march through the equally dark skies. 

                Rachel sat at the table, still like it was half an hour since he stormed out of their home. The food was already cold, and everything was motionless. Her gift, still wrapped, was by Leon's plate. She stared at it, painfully reminding herself of what has just happened. Her face was red and moist, and her nails dug onto the wooden table. _"It's happening again." _She thought. Rachel coldly remembered what has happened two years ago, but quickly tore the memories away before it got out of hand. 

                She stood up and began to clear the table, putting the uneaten food in the refrigerator and wiping the surface with a small towel. _"Maybe this was meant to be? Am I in control of my destiny?" _The phone rang, cutting her train of thought. It rang about three times before she was able to pull herself off of what she was currently doing to get it. 

"Hello?" 

"Rachel?" 

"Emily, hi." 

"You sound…"

"…"

"So you asked him?"

"Yeah…"

"And…"

"I feel terrible."

"Oh God. Want me to come over?" 

"No, no thank you, I think…I just want to be alone…" 

"…"

"Do you think that, maybe this is a test?"

"A test?"

"You know, something like God would give?"

"I'm not a religious person."

"…"

"But if it helps, I do know for a fact that hardships are there to make us stronger." 

"…Then I must be like the Incredible Hulk by now."

"You…have more of a ghost rider thing going on."

"Shut up, Emily." 

"…You know what you should do?" 

"Apologize like hell?"

"That comes later." 

"…"

"Find her."

"Claire?" 

"Yes. You told me that you heard them right? Do you still remember the address that was given to him?"

"It's…he put it in his wallet." 

"Then go get it."

"I don't think it's a good idea."

"You're not just going to let this unknown woman ruin your life will you?" 

"…" 

"Well?"

"I'll…talk you later, okay?"

"Do the right thing." 

_"What is the right thing?" _Rachel thought as she put the receiver down without even any goodbye. It was hard to keep etiquette in check when all hell breaks loose. She didn't move from where she stood. _"Should I do it?" _she thought to herself as she pulled down her hair. This was the same phone that she heard Leon talk it over with some other person. That night, she felt like she wanted to tear it away from his hand and throw it away. Then she realized that she was being selfish. She hated that feeling. 

            _"God, why did I have to shout!?" _Leon screamed to himself as he walked along the drenched roads. Sensibly enough, he was the only one out in that weather, with the exceptions being the few passersby who gave the young man a look of curiosity as to why he was braving the rain. He stopped for a moment, and stared across the lawn and into the window of a neighbor's home. It wasn't at all a grand achievement of architecture, but it provided plenty of walls and a roof. A warm, red glow came from the fireplace, and a child was sitting by the window, no older than six. His mother was teaching him how to tie his shoelaces. 

                Leon brushed his hair back and went on his way, before anyone would misconceive him as some sort of stalker. If Claire had never called him, he would be on his way to having and sharing the same warmth and security that the family shared. _"No, don't blame her." _He thought, even though he was in a desperate search for somebody to pin his grief on. His childhood consisted of bullies and users, something not common to children who didn't hope for a future higher than they should. He always had the luxury of putting the blame on somebody. Raccoon city taught him otherwise, now life is once again trying to teach him to turn back to his old ways.

                He didn't want to think about it. _"…Should I apologize? For what? I didn't start anything! Did I?" _Leon bit his lower lip, not even noticing the rain dissipate. The sky was opening up to light once again, with only a slight drizzle being the precipitation's last sigh of protest. _"Can't Rachel just…leave me alone about this? This isn't her god damned business!" _It was only after the rain that he began to feel the chill run down his spine, though at the time, he wasn't entirely too sure if it was because he was drenched or because he openly blaming the girl she loves. _"I…should head back. But what do I say to her when I do?" _

                Rachel sat on the side of the bed, right to the wall. Her fiancée's wallet was sprawled on top of the mattress, with the address of Claire Redfield open beside it. She was already dressed in a violet, v-necked shirt and a black blouse. A rectangular, brown leather case was also on the bed, neatly filled and already closed. Rachel's hands were on her laps, and she began to look down, her hair covering the sides of her face. She held a rosary in her right hand. Her family never did bring her up in faith, but the moment that her life was saved, she knew that it must have been something from Heaven that was sent to help her. Now, she feared that Heaven was calling him back. 

                Leon opened the door, dripping wet, and stepped inside the house. The table was already free from any sort of dinnerware, as if it wasn't set up just moments ago. "Rachel?" he called, even though he had no idea what to tell her if ever she came down. He didn't bother taking off his clothes, even though they felt like they pulled down his body. _"Where is she?" _he thought out as he began to walk up the stairs. He looked up as he climbed the case, his heart racing with each step. 

Author's note: Incredibly short still, but the later chapters would last longer, promise! Well, that should give you a "it's over?" kind of feeling. Well, hope you enjoyed the ever wallowing ocean of pity I've thrown these people in. Until next time.  


	7. Journey to Stoneville

Author's note: Sorry again for the lack of updates. Finals week. Horrible, horrible Botany. Exegetical study. Can't think straight. 

Visions: Don't worry about it Molotov. Reviews aren't really that important, just as long as I receive the notion that there are people reading, I'll go on.

Molotov: That's okay. 

Chaotic Chaos: Oo nga e, pano ko kaya naisipan mag-update? Ikaw, mag-update ka na rin, inspired ka naman diba? : D 

Frenchy: That's because I had people spy on you around the clock. Be very afraid.  

Chapter 7: "Journey to Stoneville" 

                Leon entered their room, leaving a trail of water as he did. He looked around, seeing everything in complete order, no open books, no untidy folds, it was as if no one has ever used the room. _"God, where could she be? Did she leave? No, please not." _He thought as he slowly trudged to inspect the room further. Something told him that he'd find the answer in that room, most probably because the others never held any significance for Rachel, or at least she said, not unless he was there with her. Something permeated the very being of Leon, something that he wished he'd never have felt. It was the fear of losing Rachel. He knew the feeling all too well because he felt it once with Claire.    

His eyes trailed the bed, next the floor, then left, up to the mirror where Rachel always fixed herself. A small piece of paper, most probably from a small notepad, was stuck on the reflective surface. The only other thing in that room, the paper screamed at him to come over. It was Leon's natural instinct to practically sprint over to the piece of paper and pull it off of the glass. His fingers moistened the edges, and his hands were shaking as his eyes adjusted to the handwriting of Rachel. Small patches of shriveled areas were by the middle of the paper, products of Rachel's tears as she wrote. No, he didn't want to read what was written. He wanted to take the paper and blow it up with a shotgun. Unfortunately for him, he had too.

_"Leon, _

_                I'm so sorry. I really shouldn't have brought it up. I know how much you hate it when I begin to pry, and I can't justify what I did, but it's just that I had to find out. I can't have a future where I'd spend every waking moment in doubt, if my husband truly loves me. I know, I'm selfish, aren't I? I must be the most horrible person in the world if I managed to hurt the kindest person there is. I don't really know what you're thinking if you read this. Maybe you're happy. Maybe you're glad that I'm out of your life, and you won't have nagging old Rachel to stop you from pursuing your true love. Right? I know that I could never amount to what she was to you. I know I'm not special in anyway, and I am so sorry for being a burden in your life. God knows how much you've put up with me. I saw it in your eyes. I felt it in your touch. You're still looking. You still want something more, more than I could ever hope to give you. I'm so sorry that I couldn't be the woman for you. Just remember, that I still love you. Always. _

_                                                                                                                                                                        Rachel"_

At first, Leon's heart didn't beat. The words, marked so richly in red, seemed to dance and scream around him, retelling the message over and over. It took a few seconds before Leon felt like something rose deep within his chest, like a wave of vomit that didn't each past his throat. He breathed heavily, unknowingly crumpling the paper in his hand. _"No." _He looked at the mirror. "No!" he screamed at the top of his lungs as he punched through the glass. "No!!" He slammed his fists against the cabinet by him, nearly breaking through the panel. "No!!!" he grabbed the small chair by what was once Rachel's mirror, and hurled it across the room, making a sickening, cracking sound as its leg broke off of the wall.  

Leon didn't want to admit it, he never did, but deep inside, he knew that those allegations were true. His anger was a reflection of both his hurt, and his self-pity. It hurt so much because after all these years, he never did change, and now, another person, innocent, was pulled into his hole of self-depreciation. He knelt on the floor and rested his arms and head on the bed. Leon wanted to tear open the sheets and upturn the bed, but all his strength suddenly disappeared the moment he began to cry. He could not remember the last time he cried. Not when he realized what nightmare he fell into when he rode into Raccoon city, not even when he left Claire and the rest.  

                Rachel didn't want to go to her parents. She didn't want them to tell her that sorry and that maybe he really wasn't the one for her. Rachel kept her cellular off, since she knew that it was the first way that Leon would always try to contact her. The breath of life seemed to escape her each move. With a trembling hand, she knocked on the front door of Emily's house. It took awhile before the young woman answered the door, wearing a pink sweater as well as a pair of cream slacks. 

"What are you doing here?" was the initial question. 

"…I just need somewhere to rest for the night. Would you…"

"Of course, here, come in." 

                The courtroom was filled with silence, as the final verdict was passed. "Sherry Birkin is to be taken care of by her immediate family, Aaron and Helen Hamilton."  Ordered the jury representative. "Visitation hours from Claire Redfield would be restricted to Tuesdays and Thursdays, and only within nine in the morning, to five in the afternoon." It wasn't a grand courtroom; it was small, dark, and antiquated. The only people present were the jury, the judge, Claire, Sherry, the Hamiltons and both parties' respective attorneys. _"Listen Sherry, I knew that…we really had no chance of winning this. I can't give you anything, not even a home. It was selfish of me to try and keep you here…and I'm sorry. I never should have kept you away from the life that you deserve."_   

                Claire's eyes were kept on the floor. She dreaded this day, but at the same time, knew that she couldn't really do anything about it. Aaron and Helena shouted in gaiety, embracing each other as their sincere cry of joy permeated the walls. _"You're going to have a future now. Away from the rat-infested hellhole that I've dug for the both of us. I guess that maybe, I am destined to be alone."_

The judge looked down on Claire, mouthing the word sorry. She was a middle-aged, African American woman, who already saw too much heartbreak in her lifetime. Claire wore an orange, sleeveless flannel shirt and a black blouse. On the other side, the Hamiltons each wore a blue top, with Aaron wearing cream slacks while Helena wore a blouse of the same color. _"Sherry, the truth is…I've always kept you with me because I was afraid of it. I was afraid of not being able to be with somebody I care about. I've already lost two…and you're the last remnant of the memories that I shared with one of them." _ 

"It's okay Claire. It's not your fault." Whispered Sherry as she held her protector's hand. 

"I'm…so sorry." Whispered the elder woman, then slowly kneeling down and pulling the child into her embrace. It was going to be that way. Flashbacks of the times that the two girls held flashed in Claire's mind as she held Sherry tightly. Helen and Aaron stopped their celebration, watching the two share the moment. Aaron took a deep breath and walked toward the girls. 

"Sherry." He called to her in a whisper, placing his hand on the back of her shoulder. Claire lifted her face so that she could look up to stare at Aaron in the eye. "…Take care of her." She told him, half in a plea, and the other in an almost threatening tone. 

                Aaron simply nodded at her, and with that, Claire let Sherry go. "They're going to give you a better life than I could." Claire told the girl as she began to step away. Amazing how so many things could happen in just one day. That morning, she and Sherry were thrown out of the complex, and just now, hours later, Sherry is taken away from her. _"I needed you, more than you needed me…and I am so sorry. I am so sorry for using you like that…and having to drag you here with me. It was so unfair for you. You have so much to live for…you still have so much…" _Claire remembered uttering those words to Sherry just before the trial, or what could have been called a trial, started. Sherry stood silent all the time, very much aware of the fate that was dealt to them. A lunatic with a mutated arm couldn't do anything to tear the away from each other, and with that they thought they were strong. It only took a pen, paper, and a room full of people, to do what a city filled with the undead couldn't. 

                Sherry was led out of the room, all the while keeping her eyes on Claire, who stood still. Grief was imminent in her eyes.              Helena slowly approached her, awkwardly at the very least. "Claire?" she asked in a soft voice. "…I can see that you care very much for her…and…trust us. We…won't do anything to harm her. We'll…" 

"Get the hell away from me." Claire scornfully chided, gathering her belongings and marching away. 

                Emily handed Rachel a cup of tea. "You…left him?" she asked her. Rachel looked down on the carpeted floor, still as melancholic as she was hours before. "No…I…really don't know what I'm doing." She replied in a soft voice, uncharacteristic of her strong nature. "I had a really hard time keeping him out of this house. Didn't believe that I haven't seen you at all."

"He's…so stubborn like that…isn't he?" Rachel asked, her eyes wandering away as if reminiscing something from the past. 

"You know, you can't go on like this." 

"…I know." 

"Are you going to look for her?"

"…And if I find her? What the hell do I do?" she asked, her voice suddenly becoming sterner. "I can't just…walk up to somebody and tell her to stay the hell away from my fiancée's mind." 

"…"

"This is just so…frustrating. It's like…so much like what happened with James." 

'Tell me about it." 

"I just hope that history won't repeat itself. I don't want anymore heartbreaks." 

"…"

"You know, mom and dad warned me about Leon. They said that…they saw too much of James in him." 

"…"

"I said that…I trusted Leon, that he made me actually believe that there's such as thing as love…and said that…he won't be like James." 

"…"

"And I was right. Even when I messed up with something, or when I…accidentally put shrimp in the food and practically poisoned him…he never got angry." 

"…"

"He never beat me, like James did."    

"…"

"And now…the thought of losing him, the thought of losing this wonderful person to a girl that's…I don't know, prettier, smarter and stronger than I am…it's tearing me apart." She said, her voice becoming smaller. 

"But…I thought you trust him."

"I do. I trust him…and I know him. Enough to know for sure that…he'll go looking for her. And that he'll leave me." 

"…"

"It's just that…I feel as if this is what everyone wants. I feel like there's an invisible mob of people rooting for Leon and Claire to get back in each other's arms…it's a bigger picture…it's…the better fairytale, much better than mine." 

"…"

"I'll never win, Emily. I'm doomed to be alone. No one will ever love me because everyone else is…so much better than me." 

_"She's gone back…" _Emily thought sadly, referring to the days when Rachel was held under the fist of a drunken man who was once the knight that saved her from the dark. 

                Leon turned the key to his black, four-seater Audi tap-down, a gift to him from a wealthy family that he saved from a group of lunatics that stalked them. He looked back, trailing his eyes over the now dark, lifeless home that he and Rachel bought together. The key was left under the welcome mat, the place that he knew where Rachel would look first. He didn't know what it was he would say the moment he finds Claire. He didn't know what he would feel. Would he be angry with her, for single-handedly destroying the foundation that he and Rachel had built through love? Would he throw his arms around her, and never let her go, afraid of the years that she'd be away from his life? _"I am seriously about to throw my world into a whirlpool of shit." _

                With a doubtful heart, he left the driveway, and sped away; trying his best not to think of the moments he shared with both women. Trying not to think of what's possibly going through their minds, or what's tearing each other apart. _"Room 204 Blue Creek Apartment…" _The address stuck in his head, it was the only thing he really wanted to think of right now. He knew for a fact that Rachel was staying with Emily. All his years as a police officer taught him how to see underneath a person. The problem was that he couldn't see underneath himself. Common with most people who took a psychology course. 

                The wind blew through Leon's hair as he rode. His wore a long-sleeved black shirt, and a pair of cream slacks. He really didn't know what it was he was doing as he sped off into the horizon. A soft song from the band 'Stephen Speaks' was playing over the radio, with the breath-like tones reaching deep into the police officer. _"What'll it feel like when she…opens her eyes… and will she see… just what I see? Will it be a surprise to find… that she hasn't changed… her eyes are just a little bit wider now…she's getting ready…will she be soft, will she be strong? Would she be ready to be wrong? Would she move to fast, or wait to slow, will she look me in the eye…what'll she look like?" _Leon increased the volume, letting the lyrics settle in. He heard the song before, and it was one of his favorites. It didn't hit him how much meaning it held that moment. A part of his life was sealed in Claire's and he knew that he would never be complete without getting some answers. He didn't know what she'd look like, how it would feel, but he had to try, as frightening it was to him as it may sound. 

"…I still think you should go." Emily told Rachel. 

"…" 

"You just have to find out if she still loves him. That's all."

"And if she doesn't? Is that supposed to make me any happier?" 

"…"

"She loves him, Emily, I know it."

"…"

"He knows it."

"Rachel, you can't just let this girl take him away from you!" 

"Well, what should I do? I can't go there and murder the woman." 

"…"

"Rachel, you know that he's headed there. You know that he may not ever return."

"…" 

"If you sit there, and just cry and moan, about how bad things are, then that's how they are going to be, unless you stand up, and do something about it."            

Author's note: Hey, wish me luck on my coming report. I have to present a comparative study on the two accounts of creation dictated in the Book of Genesis. Major malfunction here. Well, hope you enjoyed. If anyone's still there that is.


	8. Pain

Author's note: I'm still alive, horribly so. The report when well, got a 3.5 out of 4, so it was cool. The prof just asked me, who wrote the book of genesis, why them, and the structure and some other stuff. 

Raven: Thanks, yeah, all was cool.

Orion: Cool.

Tifa: Hmm, that could be a plot twist.

Tre: Glad to hear that.

Hotaru: You took that jellybean from me.

Serena: Sorry but I have to get a rain check on that.

Frenchy: You know me, I kind of go far away from the butterflies.

Chapter 8: "Pain" 

                Leon went up the cracked steps of the apartment complex, wondering why it could even stand up as he did. The lobby that he just came from was dark and unlighted, giving off a claustrophobic feeling even though it was just the middle of the day. Blue Creek felt like it was a setting for some horror game of sorts. A little girl was playing by the narrow stairway, immune to the danger surrounding her every move. After a few more steps, Leon reached the story, turning his head left and right as to assess where to go next. _"204." _He silently reminded himself as he marched through the dim hall. A small puddle of water splashed against Leon's step, something that leaked out of the laundry room that stuck out from the floor. 

                His sunglasses were pushed up against the top of his forehead, keeping his long hair back. It took him eleven hours to drive all the way to Stoneville, and the drainage if energy definitely showed in his appearance. Even though he was usually meticulous when it came to his appearance, and though he never admitted to that, this was a special case. He didn't care if had an amputated hand or if he'd grown an extra eye right above his chin. He needed closure. 

                It took him a few minutes before he could finally get enough courage to knock on the door. Amazing how simple it was for him to chase a lunatic through ten counties, but find facing himself to be the most difficult thing there was. He felt like the slightest tap of his fist could bring the whole door down, but that didn't stop him from putting some extra force in each knock. 

"Looking for somebody?" interrupted an elderly woman, just as Leon finished rapping the door. 

"…Uh, yes…the girl who lives here." He replied, somewhat annoyed at the distraction. 

"Claire Redfield isn't living there anymore." She said knowingly. 

"What? You…know Claire?" he asked her, his attention now fully belted.  

"Not really. She came her sometime ago, just some shadow…it was a real pity, because she looked like she was one who could go through a tunnel of fire with just a few black marks…but all I saw were dead eyes." She responded, walking closer to the young man. With a trembling hand, she procured a key and proceeded to unlock the door.

"Do you…own this place?" he asked her. She looked at him and nodded. "The name's Ms. Acorn." The old woman told him, just as she pushed open the door. 

"She moved out because she couldn't pay her rent…and she must have left some of her stuff behind, probably things she wanted to forget." 

"…You kicked her out?" he asked, subconsciously raising his hostility. 

"I had no choice. Somebody will be moving in here soon…and well, the truth is, I saw her with the kid, and knew how hard it was for a single parent to raise somebody. I had a kid once too…well, I tried to make it easier for her by cutting the monthly payment in half…she never knew that. If I went lower, it would have been difficult for me to actually keep this place up and running." 

"…" 

"You look like you're a well-to-do boy…what are you doing looking for a girl like her…in a place like this?"   

"…I'm trying to clear my head." He replied in a whisper, walking in behind the old woman. The apartment was small, confining to Leon's tastes. He couldn't really imagine how someone could live in such a cramped space. He grew apart from humanity in that respect. 

                Leon walked around, imagining Claire in that room, doing the dishes, playing with Sherry. Then came the vision of her in distress possibly with alcohol by her hand, sitting by the phone and telling him her problem. The thought alone made Leon's skin crawl. "How…long did she stay in here?" he asked the old lady, who was tidying up the place. 

"…Uh, my memory isn't really that sharp, but…maybe…6 months? Yes, about six months." 

"…Oh…" he walked up to a door and stood in front of it for a few seconds. "Did…were they the only ones here?" he asked. "No one came with her upstairs other than the little girl, right?" 

"…Not to my knowledge. Those two were the only ones always up here." 

                The young man nodded; comforted by some faint reassurance that the girl didn't let her financial problems land her a desperate job as somebody who comes out at night. "…The truth is…she never really talked to anyone else. At least not anyone in this floor." Added the old woman, who rearranged the seats on the table. "She beat up a guy twice her size once, and because of that, most of the people here are afraid to go near her." 

"Kept to herself?" 

"Every single day." The woman told him. Leon nodded, and gently opened the door, revealing a room that was remarkably untidy. There was a mirror, but it was broken, probably hit by a blunt force at medium impact. A small bed was up against the wall, and an open window could be soon on the opposite partition. "…" Leon got to the side of the bed and picked up a crumpled piece of paper. _"What's this? It's her handwriting…" _he thought as he squinted his eyes. 

                It was the song, what she wrote in the dining room. _"Wishing I could hear your voice again…knowing that I never will…sometimes it seems…I fight back tears…why can't the past just die?" _He was familiar with the song as well, and he knew full well what it meant. With a frustrated sigh, he threw crumpled the paper again and threw it out of the window. 

"What was that?  Ms. Acorn asked as she looked out the window and down the street. 

"Just some bad memories." Leon replied coldly, falling on the bed. 

"Young man…that girl really needs somebody. She needs somebody to hold on too other than that little girl." She told him, in a way almost warning him. "I've seen people like her, people who throw their lives away to depression. I may not know what it was that happened to her, but I do know this… the past, it helps us build character, to learn more about what lies ahead, but it also isn't the answer to everything. We praise history, how we won wars, how gallant our soldiers were, but do we really want it to happen again? No, of course not. Those who do, they are the ones that haven't finished something that they set out to do… they become ghosts, living, but dead at the same time. All they see are history lessons, and in a way, believe that achievements, or sacrifices, are enough to keep them going, whether it is something to be proud of, or something that they cry over. The people who live their lives crying over a loss, those are the ones that need somebody. I know in my heart that she is that kind of a person, and I know in my heart that she can't d anything about it alone." 

                Leon nodded as a reply, simply because he didn't really know what it was he should say. There was a simple truth to what the woman said, something he could readily accept. The problem was that he couldn't be the one to save her. _"She's still thinking about Steve…" _he thought, convinced that it was the lost boy whom the song was addressed to. "Thank you…I think I'm done here." Leon said as he gave one final look around the room, convincing himself that her calling him was just some sort of fluke. He was both disappointed, and in a way glad, telling himself that this whole thing was over; he could finally go back to Rachel. 

                It was already nightfall when Rachel made her way to Stoneville, at places frightening, in others, glamorous. She stepped out of the red Volvo as she pulled up the street, exactly opposite where the Blue Creek apartment complex stood. A few cars sped in front of her before she could cross, probably apathetic if ever they run somebody down in the process. Whenever she felt horribly afraid, or something to that extent, she always did what she saw her favorite actress do in 'The Others'. Tucked into her right pocket, she clenched a wooden rosary tight in her hand, asking her beliefs to shine in through the crevices of her life. Her eyes were fixed on the entrance of the complex, and rightfully so, as she stopped to a halt when she saw her fiancée walk out, with a small wave to somebody inside. _"He's here…" _she thought, exactly like Emily said he would. 

She feigned a smile and turned back, not caring anymore if Leon saw her there. _"All he needed was an excuse to leave me…and I handed it to him in a silver platter…" _she told herself as she made her way back to her car, with the young man headed away, completely oblivious of her fiancée's presence in the area. Rachel always tried to smile when she was in the brink of giving up, because she hated to let other people see her looking like she was about to die. In a way, she truly was.  

The second she closed her eyes, two strong hands grabbed her and threw her down the dark and empty sidewalk. "Hello there baby…" a relatively large man hissed at her as he walked up to the girl who was backing away. He was covered in black, from the hood to the ripped rubber shoes. Rachel didn't say a word as she crawled back, knowing full well what was in her assailant's eyes, gleaming shadows that she saw before. With a maniacal laugh, he lunged forward, only to be met by a quick boot to his gut that sent him back. Rachel saw the small opening and pushed herself back up as fast as she could. She could run, but then again, after all that she's been through, she preferred to let out her anger. 

With a loud cry, she cracked her fist against her assailant's jaw, again, and again. The few people passing by didn't care, or sped when they happened upon the two. The assailant soon recuperated with a strong backhand that sent Rachel down on her knees with a sharp cry. "You little bitch!!" he shouted at her ear as he pulled her hair back, and threw her face first to the passenger door of her own car. "Hey!!" suddenly interrupted another woman before the man could do anymore damage to Rachel. "Get away from her, you asshole!" she shouted, pushing the man away. 

"Don't get in my way you little…" 

"Fuck off." The woman interrupted, sticking her boot in the man's face before he could finish his threat. With an angry growl, she then grabbed the man by his collar and flipped him over, something that she learned from her brother long ago. "Scat!" she cried with a scowl, forcing the man to turn away and retreat into shadow. 

"…Thanks." Rachel whispered as she dusted herself off. 

"Don't mention it." Replied the other without any hint of sincerity in her voice. "I've seen people take advantage of others hundreds of times…thought I'd start doing something about it." She turned to look at Rachel.

"How's the jaw?"

"Still moving."

 "You're not from around here, are you?" 

"Is it that obvious?" Rachel asked the woman, who nodded in reply. "Who are you, by the way?" she then asked, before the woman could leave. From what Rachel could deduce, the streets did clearly not intimidate this young woman. She was wearing a black tank top and a pair of ripped jeans. Her hair was tied back to a tail. The young woman looked to be about the same age as Rachel.

"Does it matter? I'm just another person out here looking for a stress-reliever." She said, referring to the assailant. 

"Well, you did save my life…I think." 

"…From what I saw, he just got lucky, you could've upped the ante." 

"You were watching?" 

"It was a long way from the lady's room." 

"…Oh." 

"You looked like you knew what you were doing. Do you practice self-defense or something?" the woman asked, getting fairly interested in what the newcomer had to say. 

"My…fiancée taught me." 

"That's sweet." 

"Actually, it sucks to think about it, especially since he's all obsessed about finding his lost love." 

"Really?" the woman asked, her interest picking up. "Do you want to beat the scum bag up? I can help." She offered jokingly. 

"I wish." Replied the girl with a slight chuckle, but soon retained her serious tone. "I guess I still love him so much." 

"Love…I think I gave up on that long ago." 

"I can tell by the whole kick-my-fiancee's-ass thing you have going on."  

"Is it that strong?" 

"Isn't it obvious?" 

"So…what's lover boy there's name?" 

"…Leon." 

"What?" the woman asked, suddenly alerted. 

"Leon. Leon Kennedy…do you know…oh my God." 

"…"

"Claire." 


	9. Beyond Suffering

Author's note: Here's the next chapter of the story, second to the last of this ten part drama. Hope you enjoy. 

Serena: The interaction will come a little more later, kind of the last chapter, hope you're cool with that. And by the way, you really are fond with descriptions of really sharp things.

Tifa Redfield: Yes ma'am. 

Hotaru: The pancake speaks to me. 

Frenchy: You are my official drum girl.

Orion: First time I had a guy faint on me. 

Chapter 9: "Beyond Suffering" 

                Rachel's heart stopped beating, and she was quite certain that the other girl's heart had the same course of nature as well. "…You know me…he told you about me?" Claire asked Rachel, moving closer. "…I…yeah…he…he…" Rachel couldn't find the words to express what she felt. On one hand, there was the utter shock of seeing the woman Leon was looking for all this time, and on the other, there was the creeping hatred she had for the woman as well. It wasn't like the big movies where the climactic confrontations occurred in massive factories or well-lit hotel rooms; Claire and Rachel met in the sidewalk, coated by the silver moonlight. 

"He's here…he's…he's here…" Claire stammered, not unlike Rachel who also clamored to get her thoughts in proper organization. She began to walk past Rachel, her eyes trailing the dark apartment complex on the opposite street. "…He found me…" Claire was almost in a trance, and Rachel couldn't even find the strength to move, as all that was left in her view were bricks and concrete, ironically holding a cheap wedding dress through a dirty looking glass. 

"…He tracked…he…uh…" Rachel bit her lower lip and turned to look at Claire, who one half turned in response. "…He…asked help from his friends in the…department and he…they…" Claire simply nodded to Rachel's attempt at an explanation, still hypnotized by the fact that Leon was there, breathing the same air as she was. "I have to…find him…" the survivor slowly said, walking up to her old apartment. "…" Rachel covered her mouth with her hand, ignoring the soreness from the fisticuff she had earlier on. She wanted to scream her head off, tell Claire how much she ruined her life, and even hit her if she could. _"…I…" _Rachel knew in her heart that she couldn't blame Claire, no one could. _"I'm have to…talk to her, no, no what the hell am I supposed to say? Stay out of our lives?" _She could tell that Claire had already been through so much, it was present in her eyes, her voice, the hindrance of time was like a dagger that had stabbed her so many times. _"What should I do?" _

""She's not there anymore!!!" Leon screamed at the man on the other line, the very same person who he talked to days ago, the one whom helped him find Claire. He found himself in front of an old Church, abandoned by progress. It was the only place that people didn't find amusing to flock into, making it also perfect for him to scream his lungs out without looking like a psychopath. _"Listen…I'm sorry but, but Jesus you don't have to fucking shout in my ear…" _The man on the other line said, clearly in the receiving end of Leon's frustration. "Where is she now?" Leon quickly asked, not minding his friend's plea for a little calm. _"I don't know…what, you think it's easy pinning where people sleep…?" _

"Find her!!!" Leon shouted once again, as abrupt as he possibly could. _"Jesus Christ man I said calm down! Shit man, you're the one asking a favor here…" _the man defended, almost getting his fuse cut by the police officer's lack of patience. "Just…do it, okay?" Leon said. _"You'd better be damn thankful you saved my family too, you asshole." _The man retorted, hinting both angrily and jokingly at the same time. Leon didn't bother to reply, shutting his phone off and stuffing it back in his pocket. 

                Two young women came up to him, giving him a long seductive stare as they did. _"Great…" _Leon thought sarcastically as the two girls stopped to lean dangerously close to him. "Hey there handsome…" crooned a blonde girl that had a fake fur coat on. It was closed, either to prevent the cold from seeping in, or from everyone seeing that she only had a pair of red panties underneath. "…Want to have a good time?" the other one asked, this one an African American with a violet tube top, black skirt and a rather shiny cowboy hat. "Come on baby…I'd even do it with you for free…" offered the blonde woman, destroying Leon's mythos that all women who chose that lifestyle were but forced to do it. The other one gave her a quick glance, as if asking what the hell she was thinking. "…But we still need a nice place to sleep though…" she immediately added before the blonde could do anymore damage. Leon smiled and nodded, first time he was ever approached with an offer like that, most probably because everyone in Manhattan knew he carried a badge. 

"Uh girls?" 

"Yeah?" they both responded at the same time, making Leon wonder if they were really interested or they just needed the job so badly. "Okay…I'll break it down…prostitution is illegal now." He said, making both girls laugh. "What? You the model citizen aren't you?" the African American joked, slapping Leon by the arm. "Uh yeah…model citizen…who happens to be working for the police department." He said, promptly stopping the girls' laughter. "Oh shit." The blonde blurted out. "They have cops that cute? Take me to jail!" she exclaimed, garnering a light slap on the shoulder from her partner. "You're friend's not…drunk is she?" Leon asked. "Uh, no…uh, sir?" the African American quickly answered, backing away a bit. "…What're you're names?" 

"Dianna." Replied the African American. "This one here's Natalie…she's uh…very enthusiastic about her work…she has a lot of mouths to feed…" Dianna said, as if hinting at him a sort of plea to let them go. "Yeah…with an opening line like hers…I bet she does…" Leon said, pushing back his hair.

                Leon rubbed his temples and shifted his glances to both women. "Hey listen…I'm kind of…well, this really isn't my jurisdiction…" he calmly said, lavishing in the curling smiles of relief that came from both women. "So you're…not going to bag us?" Dianna asked, as excited as a little girl. "Uh bagging's kind of with the evidence…when it's with people it's…" Leon stopped, wondering why on Earth he always had the urge to explain everything. With that in mind, he simply shook his head with a smile, avoiding their eyes as he did. "You are an angel!" Dianna shouted, hugging Leon out of the blue, making him yell out a short laugh. "Hey…hey, come on…I'm taken." He said, gently pushing her away. Natalie then came up to him, seductive smile and all. "Well, since I don't see her anywhere…" she quickly planted a big kiss on Leon, who couldn't believe what a moment of kindness could do for someone. "…Okay…" Leon said, pushing Natalie a little more forcibly than he did with Dianna. "Uh…I think you two should better…uh…go now." He said, drawing whimpers of disappointment from the two.

"Go on, go on… before I have to handcuff you…" he said, then prompting the two girls to look at him with a strange smile. "Kind of not what I meant…you two are keen on the subtext aren't you?" 

"Honey, with us, it's all about the subliminal thing going on." Dianna replied. 

"Uh…hey, one last thing…before you go…" Leon called. 

"Yeah, what is it?" Natalie asked first.                

"Here…" he took out his wallet and fished out a few hundred dollar bills. "Didn't really need it…though the guy I got from the train wreck thought I did…" He stopped and looked at them both in the eye. "I think you need this more than I do." He said, handing the folded bills over to the two girls. 

"Oh wow…" both of them whispered in disbelief, with Natalie slowly getting the money from Leon's hand. "Are you sure?" she asked, with sincerity clear in her voice. "Like she said, you have mouths to feed right? And you need someplace to stay for the night…" 

"But we can't just…" Dianna tried to reject, although she knew in her heart that she couldn't. "I'm sure you can. Just…do me a favor…find…find yourselves a decent job, you know, something honest." Leon said, not really believing how much of a boy scout he sounded like. Both of them nodded, realizing that some good people still do exist in the planet, people that are clearly hard to find. 

"The mouths are also looking for a father…if you're interested?" Natalie asked, and then, she knew that she was joking, and Leon and Dianna knew it as well. "…Thank you." Dianna said. "I mean it…thank you." She reiterated, with Leon once again nodding in reply. Natalie also shared the sentiment, as both of them began to walk away. 

"Um…how long have you two been…engaged?" Claire asked Rachel as they sat on the front steps of the complex. "…About a year now…I think." Rachel replied, both of them looking in the far off distance. "How…did it happen?" 

"Well…I…it was in a bank. I…well, I was kind of cashing in a check, when all of a sudden… these armed lunatics stormed in and started taking hostages and stuff. They told the…uh, people up front to put all their cash in the bags they had. So, then, the police began to pile outside…and then they had to take somebody hostage and stuff when they go interrogate or something. Just so happened that it was some psycho that grabbed me and pulled me outside. I…was so scared I was crying." 

"…What happened?" Claire asked. 

"Well…this guy was a real psycho, and I mean a real psycho…he…told the cops that they wanted to clean escape, but the cops didn't budge. He must've been new at the thing because he started shooting at everyone. I kind off got sick of crying and I bit his arm and stomped my heel on his toes…broke my hell off but it was worth it. He…hit me hard with the…um, back, the butt of his gun and grabbed me again so the officers wouldn't shoot him. Just so happened that the first moment I took a bite, Leon was already by the first few steps of the bank. When he got back to using me as a hostage, Leon was practically in his face."

"Then Leon gave the bastard what he deserved?"

"Made me realize that he must have really liked watching WWE."             

"He does? Wow…" 

"Yeah…he'd always go 'oooh!' and 'owwww; it's…nice." 

"I bet it is."

"He…literally swept me off my feet." Rachel felt her eyes sting as she dug up the memories of old. "…He asked me if I was alright, then he helped me get down while other officers got into the bank to…take care of…I don't really remember what happened then…all I saw was him…but it turned out that he was the only one with a real gun." 

"Wow…that's really…" 

"…What about you? What's you're story?" 

"I don't think you'd believe me." 

"Trust me, I'm pretty open minded…you're talking to an ex-Raccoon citizen here." 

"You…really?" 

"Yeah. Got out at the very first sign…my mom and dad don't ever want to talk about it, that's why they say that we never came from there." 

"But you guys never met until…"

"Well, he said that he just came into the city when the…infection already spread. We already skedaddled our way out." 

"…A…friend told me that…no one believe din those things until it was too late."

"…One of them broke into our home. Had a helping of the cat." 

"I'm sorry." 

"Hated her anyway." Rachel responded, hoping to inject a little bit of false humor into the situation. 

"Oh." 

"So…" 

"Yeah…I…I came in looking for my brother…you know, in the City. Had the time of my life…met Leon…met Sherry…"

"Sherry…?" 

"…Kind of like a surrogate daughter…she…she's in somebody else's custody now." Claire said in a trance, as if she was reminiscing her days with the child. "I'm sorry to hear that." Rachel replied as comfortingly as she could. "It was coming sooner or later. It's…it's my fault really…I was so…stuck in my own problems that I didn't let anyone in anymore…even…him." Claire explained, brushing back her hair and then running a finger by her eye, possibly to wipe away a small tear. 

"…Do you still love him?" Rachel asked, a question that she always dreaded. She was a romantic, somebody who believed in chivalry and the essences of beauty. She always believed in love prevailing, no matter how stupid it may have been in those times, and she always believed that her love for him was stronger than anything. Rachel wasn't ready to believe that somebody else loved him more. 

"I…miss him." Claire replied, in a way avoiding the question. "It's been so long since I ever felt it…since I felt being involved with somebody." She knew it in Rachel's question, how insecure she must have been. "Is that what you were thinking when you called him that night?" Rachel asked, practically trembling at the question. _"…This is going to hurt…" _Claire thought. "…No, when I called…all I wanted was for Sherry to be…all I wanted was somebody to help Sherry." She replied, completely ignoring the lament that echoed from her heart. In an instant, she could see the new calm that entered Rachel's soul. 

"…Rachel?" 

"Yeah?" 

"…Take care of him, will you?" Claire asked, standing up and quickly walking away before Rachel could give a reply. "Uh, Claire, wait!" Rachel called, in which Claire turned and faced her in silence. "…You can…if you want to…go." Rachel said, uncomfortable at her sudden proposal. "…" 

"It's…at the…Shrine of the Immaculate Conception…over in Manhattan…our wedding. I mean, if we still have a wedding. On the 21st." 

"…" Claire nodded with an unconvincing smile, and then walked away. _"…I don' want to ruin anymore lives…she loves him…and…I don't want to have to be caught in the middle of that…" _Claire thought to herself, all the while wishing that it were her that would be going down the isle. 

                Leon sat on the front steps of the old Church, staring right at the pavement. "Conversations with God?" asked a familiar female voice. Leon turned his head to see Rachel walking towards him. "Actually…it was with two prosti…yeah." He nodded and stood up, feeling his heart pound like a hammer at the sight of his fiancée. "…What are you doing here?" he asked, though in the back of his mind he almost expected her to come. "Well, can't let my fiancée go on his first road trip without me, right?" she responded. "…I'm sorry I had to put you through this." Leon apologized in a soft voice, looking away. He was humiliated by how selfish he was, how much he let his own problems cloud what he already had. 

"Don't all couples go through a little hell sometimes?" Rachel asked him in response. "Not this kind of hell…" Leon replied. "…Did you find what you were looking for?" she asked him. "I…guess I did." His mind flashed back to the letter that he thought was dedicated to Steve. "…Do you want to go back now?" she asked, praying that he would say yes. "…I guess so." He told her. It wasn't a particular hobby of his, but he also gave the elderly Ms. Acorn some money, and asked her that she give it to Claire the next time she sees the young lady. It was all he could do to help, he thought.              

"Leon…let's start over…okay?" 

"…" 

"Let's focus on what we have now, no more yesterdays, no more last years…let's just…cherish what we have this very moment." She whispered as she quickly wrapped her arms around him. _"This moment may be all I ever have…" _suddenly came the cryptic thought. Leon reciprocated the feeling by pulling her into his embrace as well. Without her knowing, crystalline tears began to flow down her cheek, and for the first time in a long time, it was because of happiness. 

                Claire looked off into the stretch of the Eiles River, thinking about her previous bout of self-sacrifice. _"I deserve to be happy too. But…she loves him…and so do I. I can't…no, I won't…what makes me so sure that he'll go with me anyway? He doesn't…no, he wouldn't have come here if he didn't feel the way I feel about him…" _She shook her head and covered her face with her palms. _"I deserve to be happy." _She repeated to herself, this time with resolve. _"I deserve to be happy." _ 

Author's note: The wedding will be in the next chapter, and you know me, all sorts of hell will ensue. 


	10. Heaven

Author's note: Okay, so the truth is, I had a really, really difficult time in writing this chapter. I don't know, part of me wants to appease the long time diehards out there, while another part of me wanted to just let the characters have a wild threesome, but the NC-17 is gone, so that can't be. And I kept thinking of Jennifer Garner in the role of Rachel. Well, the thing is, this is a story about love, desperation, and most of all the frailty of humanity, our faults, strengths and weaknesses. God knows that most of you won't like the outcome of this, hell I don't, but this is the outcome that came out from the direction that this story went, and when I was typing, it all just came out, I typed for six fucking straight hours. It wasn't difficult because I couldn't put it into words, it was difficult because of the people I have to please. So, I'm sorry. Really, I'm sorry that this had to be this way. Okay, uh, enough of that, here is the last chapter of Remember Heaven.

Serena: Hey, thanks, and by the way, here's the cameo I promised. Changed the original content to snuggle you in. And hey, careful with the sharp objects before you kill a certain Phantom of the Opera admirer you might have stashed there.  

Tifa Redfield: Actually, I don't think I can make Rachel a bitch. But Carlos' mom is. (Thieves of Dawn) Thanks for the reviews.

Hotaru: Well, the truth is that I've never set foot in a country where English is the primary language, so I don't really know St. Patricks

Rock Solid: Yeah, I realized that most of everyone feel that way when a dozen people come in here reviewing how much romance they'd emit, then leave the moment they figured out that this story didn't revolve around Leon and Claire. Maybe I'm just sick of fanboys. 

Frenchy: Sweetie, if I count the times you mention how this could get interesting, I'd have another thesis done. Hehe, thanks for being there babe. And come on with the story! 

Orion: Okay, well, I hope this gets you emotional.  

**Chapter 10: "Heaven"**

"…We…I had a miscarriage. Never been able to actually…" Helena wiped away the tear from her eye, remembering the two children she could have had. Now the one she could call her own was still dangerously adapting to their lifestyle. Sherry wore a pink top and a pair of blue jeans. "…I always promised Aaron a family…and the fact that I was never…God didn't let me have one for my own, and when we found the note saying that…you're here, we just…I thought it was a sign from God. That our wish could come true."   

"Oh." Sherry sat in front of her new family, finding it awkward to talk about something she brought up herself. "…But…where were you when…?" she tried to find the right words, but she couldn't. There was no way of asking people where they where when the dead walked the streets, or even after. "It's just that…it was so long…so long before anyone actually showed up." She tried to reason with her feelings, but could only draw a frustrating blank. 

"Sherry…I know that it's going to take time for you to adjust here…but, in time, you'll grow to…" Aaron tried to make her feel better, but was cut off by Sherry's sharp glare. "…" He wiped his hands against the sleeve of his blue collared shirt. 

"You know…you people are selfish." The girl announced, standing up from the kitchen table. "Just because you can't have a kid of your own doesn't mean that you can take somebody else's." she said, unmindful of the pained expression on Helena's face. 

"We have a right to you." Aaron tried to defend. 

"A right that you wouldn't have pursued if there wasn't anything wrong with her." She rebutted, pointing a finger at the shocked woman. 

"Don't say that!" Aaron rose to his feet, instilling fear into the girl, something that wasn't in his character to do. 

                Three hard knocks on the door interrupted the discussion. "I'll get it." Sherry volunteered, ignoring her new father's demand that she stay right there. The rushed footsteps echoed off the wooden floors as Aaron slumped back to his chair in defeat. "…She wasn't like this." He uttered under his breath. "…" His gaze shifted to his wife, who was still reeling over the verbal blow that she had just been acquainted to. "…I…I'll go…" without finishing the sentence, Helena stood up and headed for the main lobby to follow the girl. "…Sherry, whose… there?" the last word fell short of a whisper as she stood a short distance away, finding Sherry in Claire's arms. The young woman had her hair down, the first time anyone had seen her that way. She wore a black tank top underneath her pink vest, as well as a pair of dirty jeans.  

"Forgot that I was going to visit?" Claire teased the woman, who could only cross her hands over her chest in reply. "That's a nice sweater you have…Helena. I like the color, red."

"…She…missed you." Helena stuttered. 

"Yeah, I could tell." Claire responded, winking at Sherry. "You know…Sherry told me all about you." 

"She…she did?" 

"Uh-huh. And guess what, I'm thinking the same way she does." 

"…" 

"Try as you may, you can never have a family. You just aren't worth it you, stupid bitch." She said with a sneer, stabbing a spoonful of knives into Helena as she did. Aaron emerged from the kitchen and stood by Helena's side. "…Hey Sherry, guess what?" Claire asked, feeling the need to cut the conversation short. "What?" 

"…I'm going to make things better again." She whispered to the little girl. "…What do you mean?" 

"Just wait and see." Claire replied, giving her another wink. "Does it have something to do with the dress?" the girl asked. "…" Claire's eyes shifted from Sherry's, then to the couple's. "…Actually, I'm going to change my wardrobe before I get to where I'm going. Won't be proper, you know?"

                Rachel stood in front of a large-scale mirror, as Emily and another friend tidied up the folds of her dress. It was her second go, but this time, she was sure that she made the right decision. That's what happens when somebody is in love. You'd be simply sure that whatever you do is the right thing, even though in the eyes of others, it may not be. Love is nonsensical, blind; it could be at fault for any crime. On the other hand, it is strength, it is power, it is life. _"This is it. This is going to be different." _She closed her eyes, smiling at the notion that in about an hour's time, she would be walking down the aisle with the person she truly, deeply loved. "The dress is perfect." Emily beamed happily as she looked in the mirror beside her best friend. 

                Pristine white covered the young woman, in a strapless gown that revealed her back if not worn with the headwear. The bust is covered mildly with small, black rhinestone, while the edges clung firmly to her body. The fabric was made of silk. Her hair was tied back tight; with her hair conditioned extra long just to shine like there was no tomorrow. A simple, soft veil sat on top of her head, falling down like a thin layer of transparent hair. The clip was a pair of small, pearl-white wings that could barely be seen at all. "Do you think he'll like it?" Rachel asked, unable to hide her excitement. "I think he might want to just tear this off and do you in the altar." 

"Emily!" Rachel laughed out at her friend's idea. "That may not be what Ms. Amy Michelson thinks when she does these things…" Her bridesmaids wore gowns that were incredibly white as well, except theirs were rounded at the bust so that the straps from the line of the bust were tied back behind their necks. They were all remarkably beautiful. 

"Yeah right." Emily sarcastically quipped. 

"Can you walk in that thing?" her other friend asked, looking at how much the dress showed her form. 

"I don't know. Can't wait to find out." She replied, still gazing intently at the mirror. "…"

"Honey, what's wrong? What's with the faraway?" Emily asked, noticing a sudden change in her friend. "…Nothing, I was just thinking of…well, nothing." She said with a feigned laugh, drawing the ire of Emily's eyebrow. "Tell me." 

"…What if I can't make him happy?" Rachel asked in a weak voice, turning to face her best friend.  

"…Don't think that way, not now." Emily replied. "…"

"...I just…"

"Rachel, come on now…if for some reason that you can't make him happy…then that's his loss." 

 "…Emily?"

"Yeah?"

"…Thank you, for everything." She whispered, giving her best friend a hug. "…Hey, don't I get a hug and a thank you, too?" her other friend asked, whereas Rachel laughed out loud and had her join their embrace. "Thank you both for being my friends…I feel like the luckiest woman on Earth…" 

"Hey now, teary stuff comes later, okay?" her friend reminded, wiping her eye. 

"How's about running your vows on us?" Emily asked. 

"Okay. So, here goes…" 

                Leon paced the kitchen, with a few of his friends with him. All of them looked practically the same, decked in high-end suits that were blacker than the night. "Come on man, don't be getting fucked on us." One of them said, referring to his state of panic. "Yeah but, Hank, I'm getting married, it's like, the end of my being a complete asshole." He replied jokingly. "But hell man, we thought this day would never come." His other friend chided. They were both blonde, and in their late twenties, just like Leon was. "…What do you mean by that?" 

"Well, it's just that, you know, you've been so caught up with your lost romance when you first came here, we thought it was gonna be you and her." his friend reasoned, drawing a blank nod from Leon.

"What's her name again?" 

"…Claire." Leon replied, seeming nervous at the sound of her name even though it was uttered through his own voice. 

"Oh yeah. Nice name. Claire." His other friend added.

                _"I…Rachel Joyce…vow, that…that I will love you forever. In this life, and in the next. I…promise that…I will try my best to make you…us…be happy. And I wanted you to know that…I give you everything. You…I promise that I will give you my heart, my body and my soul, completely. All that is in me…it's yours as well. I trust you with all of who I am." _

"…By the way, I heard from Johnson that you went and looked for her." His friend brought up. The subject was still too uncomfortable for Leon, but he found himself irresistibly drawn to the subject. "How'd that go?" he asked. 

"Um…I…wasn't able to find her." Leon responded, almost pushing back his hair, but stopped when he remembered that it was gelled back into place. 

"You know buddy…if I had a girl like Rachel…then I am going to be perfectly satisfied." His friend said, giving Leon a hint of how much he already had, and a glimpse of what he almost had given up. He recalled every moment with her, how he actually felt her reciprocate the love that he gave, something Claire never did. Not until it was too late at least. 

                _"Leon…you showed me that…this world, it's still worth living in. You made me realize that…even in the moments where it is too dark to see a thing, when I was…when I thought that all of this was a lost cause… that love…that… love could be so bright…it could be bright enough to push away that darkness. I don't just owe you my existence…I owe you my life." _    

                Claire Redfield walked the streets in hurried strides, a deep face of resolve etched in her face. She made a promise that she was going to make things better, for her, for Sherry, and for Leon as well. _"We deserve to be happy." _She thought over and over again as the cross on top of the Church came into her view. She held her handbag tight with both hands. Claire had her hair tied back to a bun, with small strands falling down her left cheek. The young woman wore a blood red gown, with a body that looked like a corset wrapped tightly around her waist, while the skirt draped down to her ankles, with a slit beside her right knee for her to at least move with a little bit of mobility. _"We aren't going to suffer anymore." _

_                "You see Leon…I agree with you. I know what Heaven feels like. It isn't some faraway place, or some nightclub down the street…Heaven can be found anywhere, but it's still pretty hard to find. Some people live their lives never really knowing what Heaven is. I thought that I was doomed to be one of those people…after…after what happened then… never thought that I would know what Heaven is…but…you made me see what it is."   _

                 Leon looked outside the kitchen, watching each guest, as if in the back of his mind, he was searching for somebody whom he knew that could never be there. He let out a breath of air and snuck back into the kitchen, leaning on the wall. "By the way, what kind of a Church has a kitchen, anyway?" his friend asked, looking around. "A relatively expensive one." Leon replied, resuming his pace. "What's in your mind, oh boyband look-a-like-one?" he was asked, a question that he really didn't know how to answer. "I don't know…feels like…a loose end." He responded weakly, raising his friends' curiosity, but both of them decided not to advance with anymore questioning.

                 He felt like his heart could burst in any second as he paced the room. "Hey come on Leon, if you were wearing spiked, the floor would be bubbling with primordial lava right now." His friend called, synonymous for asking Leon to calm down. "You know, guys…" Leon started, leaning on the sink with his elbows and facing his two friends. "…What if I screw up over there? What if I trip or I…burp, or I grow a third limb and start eating bugs?" he asked, clearly in panic. "You'll be fine." They both responded, almost at the same time. "…What if I'm in love with some other girl too?" he then asked weakly. "Jesus Christ man, it's your wedding. With a really, really hot, smart girl, who spends her weekends helping Habitat build houses for homeless people. They don't come better than that!" his friend urged, grabbing Leon by the shoulders as if trying to shake some sense into him. 

"Yeah…but…" 

"If you say that you like your girls dangerous, then I am kicking your ass to the next county."

"…"

"Come on bro, we heard the stories countless times. You helped each other go through a nightmare, you disappear, she disappears, you come back, she does too, and you wacky kids don't do a thing but skulk and go all Dawson's fucking creek. How the hell do you find love in a situation like that? Are you even sure that it's love?" 

"…I…don't…know." 

"Well I do. What you saw, that wasn't love, that was respect, that was some infatuation born out of being the only living being you were with in the city… Leon, the perfect girl is going to walk up that aisle, and it is you she's looking for, not rugged and handsome me, not dashing and sensitive Mel over here. It's you, and you have no idea what you could throw away if you're still thinking about Claire when the time comes to say those two words."

"…"

"Are you getting me, man?" 

"…Yeah…I am." 

                 _"Leon…Heaven…it's spending the rest of my days, with each waking moment beside you…it's a state of…perfect happiness, and it is what I feel with you. Heaven is…drinking hot chocolate in front of the fireplace with you when Christmas comes…or…or watching fireworks with you when the New Year rolls in. It could be just…staring into your eyes whenever, in a rainy day, or if it's sunny. Heaven…it's you. I remember Heaven… when I remember you. I love you, Leon Kennedy. I love you, with all my heart."  _ 

                Rachel let out a breath of air. "So…what do you guys think?" she asked, her heart still pounding from reciting her vows. "Wow…can I use that for my wedding?" Emily asked, making them all break out in laughter. "Maybe…but you have to pay me, and there would not be any change in the text, names included." Rachel responded jokingly, walking down the pedestal and sitting in the middle of the pink couch with her two friends. "…I almost expected to hear a rip." Her friend joked, referring to Rachel's fitted gown. 

"It's cold enough as it is, thank you Serena." 

"Oh it is my pleasure." 

                Three soft knocks interrupted the three girls. "Who…?" before anyone could answer the door, the knob slowly turned, and in walked a young woman with light brown hair and a deep, red gown. "…Nice dress." Claire immediately greeted as she laid her eyes on the bride to be. All the three girls stood up, practically in unison. "…Claire…you made it." Rachel said, unsure of what her sudden intrusion meant. "…I guess I did." The girl replied, turning and looking at herself in the mirror. 

"Uh, Emily, Serena, can we have a moment alone, please?" Rachel asked, with the two hesitant to comply. "…Come on, guys." The bride urged. "…We'll check on the guests." Anne suggested, tugging at Emily's arm. 

"Nice friends you have there." Claire commented. 

"Yeah. Hey, I'm glad you could make it. That's a beautiful gown you have on." 

"…It's my only one." Claire responded softly, her boundaries blurred by the lights that came from the window behind her. "…Uh, did you bring anyone along with you?" Rachel asked, feeling something wrong in the air. 

"…No…I didn't. But I guess I have you to thank for that, don't I?" Claire replied, this time, she had a firmer tone, unlike when she entered. "…What do you mean?" 

"What do I mean? Don't be dense Rachel, you know what I mean." 

"But…didn't we…you said…that night…"

"Yeah, I guess I did. I tried to be humane…but…you know what I learned about life? You can never be happy if you don't seize the moment. Carpe Diem or something like that." 

"…Claire…"

"I tried to play the martyr….I really did." 

"…"

"You know…back in our days, when he and I fought…you know, before he left…everyone always said that…we should be together. You know? There wasn't anyone else in the picture. Him and me." 

"…Claire…"

"Does it look like I'm through talking?" 

"…" 

"Good. You see, the thing is…well, you're a good person, and I hate to have to break this to you…but you, you're just… convenience. Leon doesn't love you, because if he did, he wouldn't have come back for me. It's all so clear now. He loves me. You were just something to fill in the time." Rachel took a deep breath and slapped Claire as hard as she could. "…How dare you come in here and talk like that…" Before she could finish, Claire opened her purse and took out her gun.

                Leon, still in the kitchen with his two friends, rested his head on his elbow as he sat down in silence. A loud burst suddenly made him jump straight up. In an instant, hysteria enveloped the Church as he exited the kitchen and pushed his way through the guests, tracing the sound of the gunshot. _"Jesus Christ." _He thought inside as he heard women screaming inside one of the corridors. His heart pounded harder and harder as he ran as fast as he could to the room where Rachel was. 

"Emily! Serena!" he called, as he distinctly recognized the voices. _"Oh God, I don't hear Rachel…" _he suddenly thought, with enough dread to fill Normandy entering his soul. "Leon!" Emily shouted, although incoherent in between her tears. Serena was by the door, using it as support. Like Emily, she too was beyond lucidity. "What happened!? What…?" he entered the room, finding Rachel's body lifeless on the floor. 

                Blood poured down from a wound right through her neck, making a puddle form in the floor. Her eyes were still wide open, with the expression of muted shock etched on her face, as if it were an epitaph. "Oh my God." Leon uttered under his panting. "Rachel?" he asked weakly, as he rushed by her side. "Rachel…wake up, baby wake up…" he urged, cradling the body in his arms. "Rachel please…" he called desperately, until Rachel's own family caught sight of the body, and they themselves were plunged into the deepest sorrow. They all ran to her body, screaming for her to wake up, and Leon could only let out gasps of air in his shock. Now she can never tell him her vows. 

                The sky wept heavily as the body bag was finally zipped with a sickening sound as Rachel's body was put into the back of the ambulance. Her mother and father didn't let go of the body until it the doors were finally closed, and both of them, as well as their closest friends and relatives, all broke down in tears right in the middle of the street, drawing the attention of every passerby in Manhattan. Drenched, beaten, they didn't mind the stares, the thought didn't even cross their minds. 

Leon stood by the Church doors, unmindful of the blood that was stained over his clothing. He looked at both of his palms, with rainwater and dark red mixing like a sick artist's dream. All his life, he was surrounded by death, by the suffering of others. It meant seeing the raped bodies of children, battered women and eviscerated men. His hands were always drenched in blood. Like it was with Ada, now it was with another woman that he loved deeply. Trembling, he walked back inside the Church, just the way he and Rachel envisioned it to be. White roses, strewn petals, a red carpet. His eyes traveled up the aisle then up to the gigantic cross hanging from the ceiling.  

He kept in the shadow, falling back against the wall to a sitting position, a few inches to the right of where he just entered, and began to cry. It wasn't the tears of a person that came down his cheeks, they were the tears of a child, the wild gasps, the little squeals, the loud cries, intertwined, unthinking. For him, heaven just turned straight to hell.

"Leon…" his friend, Mel, came to his side slowly, carefully. "Jesus Christ, I'm so sorry man." He said softly, sitting by him and wrapping him in an embrace, in which Leon openly accepted, something he didn't always do. It was painful having a friend cry through your clothing, especially if you have no way at all of doing anything about it. It wasn't just about the loss, it was about the helplessness that came along with it. "She's gone…" Leon whimpered through his tears. 

"Uh…hey…I…don't know how to tell you this…man…Christ. I…talked with Serena…or at least tried to…the last person that…that came into the room…man, Leon it was Claire." 

"…What…?" Leon raised his face, still unable to stop his outbreak of tears. Like the others, he was barely coherent in his words. "It might have been Claire that shot Rachel." 

"There's no… fucking way." Leon responded through gritted teeth. 

"Come on man…" his friend tried to reason, realizing it was a really bad time to tell him what he just found out. "There's no fucking way!" Leon screamed, lost amidst the tears of the people within and outside the Church walls. "I know her…she wouldn't do that, she couldn't." 

"…I'm sorry." His friend whispered, letting Leon continue to mourn. 

                The powerful rain didn't stop Leon from walking straight home, ignoring the curious glimpses of the people around him. His mind, his face, his soul, all of them drew blanks. He soon found himself by the swings, still in a trance, just like he was when he and Rachel had their first, real fight. Grief-stricken as he was, he couldn't bear to shed another tear, he was too tired, tabula rasa. "…You followed me all the way here…" he softly said, knowing that Claire was just a few feet behind him. 

"…Nice place…" she replied, standing motionless. 

"…Did you… do it? Where… you the one who…"

"Yeah. I did." She replied, almost in a heartbeat. 

"Why?" he asked, this time giving way to the anger that came from his voice.                   

"Because it's what everyone wants…Sherry…me…you…we have fans."

"What!?" Leon jumped to his feet and faced Claire. "What gives you the fucking right to kill somebody!? Somebody I love!! Somebody I was about to marry!!" he cried, walking straight up to Claire. "Well, you should thank me, I just saved you the embarrassment of saying my name in the altar, now, didn't I?" the girl snapped back. Without any hesitation, Leon punched Claire across the face, sending her down to the muddy ground. "Don't you ever say that." He threatened through gritted teeth. 

"…Leon…do you know why I always carry this gun?" she asked, taking out the pistol from her purse. "I never let this go, because it was the only answer I had back in Raccoon city, and now, now, I'm in real life and I thought that these problems, bills, loans, jobs, they couldn't be helped by just pulling a trigger and blowing it away, did you know that? You…you promised me… that you'd give me a reason not to use this thing anymore!!" she cried, getting up to her feet and pointing at him. "You promised me that you'd love me!!!" she screamed. "That you'd help me…"  Leon's mind flashed back to just after she returned from the Antarctic base with her brother. He wanted to be there for her, but she never let him. In her sleep, he would tell him that her that he loved her with all his heart, but it was only met with silence, even if the girl was only pretending to be asleep.

"You didn't want to be helped! You didn't want to be loved, why? Because all you ever thought about was Steve Burnside, and now that I had somebody else, you take her away, just like they did him!" he rebutted, unmindful, uncaring of the pistol trained at his heart. "…I…I was afraid that I would lose you like I did him." Claire responded weakly. "Oh, great, well that's just too bad Claire, because guess what, you already did. You already lost me…ruined my life by killing the only one that made enough fucking sense around here!" 

Leon screamed at her in complete rage, putting her in silence. "But you love me…"  

"And that is the only reason why I'm not shooting you myself!!!" 

"Leon…" she tried to object, but couldn't find the words. It was a rarity for a woman of her strength to be at a loss for words. 

"Go, get the hell away from me before I do something I regret." He ordered menacingly, turning away and sitting back down on the swings. Claire lowered her head and began to walk away. _"But I deserve to be happy…with you…you can't stop it Leon, you'll come back to me, I know it. I just know it. We were meant to be, everyone knows that." _

                Leon looked off into the distance, holding in his heart the truth of Claire's words. It was a twisted reality, a sick aria that enveloped him as he stared off into the distance. He didn't want to think anymore, he was sick of it. All he wanted to do now was remember the simple moments of pure joy that he could never feel again. Remember Heaven.   

The End 

Author's note: You know, when I was revamping the park scene, I was listening to Duncan Sheik's half-life and I was thinking, hey, this would look good for a fade in to "The End"  part. I intentionally didn't put in any other survivor in the wedding so I could highlight the distance between them. So, there, the underlying humanity is a sick, sad one. Subverted thinking and romance. Well, I hope that I got you through an emotional roller coaster with this one. Again, thanks to everybody who reviewed, even though most were monosyllabic and I think forced. But hey, I'm not complaining. Till next time dudes and dudettes.  


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